Willowbrook student doesn’t let non-Hodgkin lymphoma slow him down

On Aug. 19, the halls of Willowbrook will be buzzing with excitement as more than 2,000 students enter the building for the first day of school.

That day will be especially thrilling for sophomore Jake Friguletto, who was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma this past March. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a cancer that originates in the lymphatic system, the disease-fighting network spread throughout the body. With this cancer, tumors develop from lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell.

Because of the diagnosis, Friguletto had to miss the end of his freshman year. But that didn’t stop his classmates and teachers from making sure he was still part of the Willowbrook Warrior family. On July 2, Willowbrook students, staff and community members lined the streets near the school to cheer on Friguletto as he went to his final round of chemotherapy.

“It was amazing,” Friguletto said of seeing everyone holding up signs and offering words of encouragement. “I didn’t expect so many people to be there.”

Friguletto received treatment at Lurie Children’s at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital, where he underwent an initial round of chemotherapy, followed by six full rounds. He also had a spinal tap to determine the stage of the cancer.

“I’m getting better every day,” Friguletto said with a smile. “It really helped to have so many people behind me. I don’t know if it would have been as easy without the support I’ve received from my friends, teachers and family. I had plenty of people visit me in the hospital and bring things to keep me busy.”

Friguletto said his teachers were always in touch and helped him stay up to date with his schoolwork, and he’s now looking forward to the 2015-16 school year. While he’s currently unable to play sports (he was a member of the Willowbrook Boys Cross-Country Team last year), Friguletto is excited to try new things such as theatre, Philosophy Club and Mock Trail.

Despite being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Friguletto remains focused on his goal of attending Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He plans to major in computer science to pursue a career in computer programming.