© 2024 88.9 KETR
Public Radio for Northeast Texas
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Scholarship honors a sister's dream

Jennifer Huie and her family.
jenhuie.com

In 2011, Jason Bone lost his sister, Jennifer Huie, to an aggressive form of breast cancer. But he kept her dream of becoming a nurse alive through a scholarship fund he established in Jennifer’s honor.

“Her birthday was September 9, and it was becoming painfully obvious that she was not going to see another one,” Bone said. “Everyone went out of their way to make it a special one. She even received her honorary nursing degree that day! I knew Jennifer’s dream was to be a nurse and I thought giving a scholarship in her name was the best way to make sure she was remembered and could continue to help in the nursing field. It was my last birthday present to her. She died 10 days later.”

Jennifer’s form of breast cancer was rare and aggressive, and Bone has spent the years since her death educating people about it.

“Jennifer died from a rare form of breast cancer called Inflammatory Breast Cancer,” Bone said. “When she was diagnosed, I learned how unusual that type of cancer is and that it is often misdiagnosed as something else.”

Jennifer did a lot of training with local medical staff on IBC while attending nursing school, fighting cancer and raising two boys.

“I have taken up her quest for education where I can,” Bone said. “I have done several training sessions this year at Texas A&M University-Commerce and for local civic clubs. More specifics on IBC symptoms can be found at https://theibcnetwork.org/what-is-ibc.”

Bone can begin awarding scholarships once the fund reaches $10,000. Currently, the fund is up to $7,915.24.

Donations to the Jennifer Huie Memorial Quasi Endowment can be sent to the Texas A&M University-Commerce Foundation P.O. Box 3425, Commerce, 75429, by visiting www.jenhuie.com or by calling 903-886-5712.