Teen Cancer Survivor Creates Spooky House To Help Kids Fighting Cancer

In Royal Oak, Michigan, a 13-year-old cancer survivor has transformed his yard into a haunted attraction. Jackson Amick's Halloween project raised $4,000 last year, funding special shirts for young patients getting cancer treatment.

At 405 Mount Vernon, the haunted display runs through October 31. Jackson works with his dad, Thom, for a full month to set it up. This year's show adds fresh scares, with a custom-made monster granted through Make-A-Wish.

"He has been a Halloween fanatic and has had a huge passion for it since he was 3," Thom Amick said, per WXYZ Detroit.

The funds buy specialized treatment shirts for kids at Corewell Health and Detroit Medical Center's Children's Hospital. "A chemo shirt pretty much unzips... you can pull the flap down, so you don't have to disrobe to access your port and get chemo treatment," said Thom Amick.

After winning his battle with leukemia at Corewell Royal Oak, Jackson wanted to give back. Cancer-free since 2022, he knows what other kids face. "When you take your full shirt off, you feel more uncomfortable than you do just flapping it down and keeping most of it on," Jackson explained.

Word spread fast in 2023. Visitors came from miles away - Livonia, Brighton, and St. Clair Shores - to walk through the haunted yard or make donations.

What started as a small display in 2019 grew into something bigger. Now, each $30 shirt sold means one more child gets proper treatment wear. Every cent goes straight to providing chemo shirts for kids in treatment.