Art, animals, and action figures are Jeff's key pursuits in his spare time. He is also interested in animation. Right now, he says, "I just don't know which interests will be part of my career and which will be hobbies."
Jeffrey has a long list of mentors, including his parents, his teacher, and the physicians and hospital staff members who helped him during his years fighting cancer.
Jeff is a cancer survivor. He's in his fifth remission and has been cancer-free for two years. During the years he was receiving treatment, he became attached to a rabbit that lived in the hospital playroom. He became interested in the idea of using pet therapy to alleviate anxiety and stress in children who visited the oncology clinic.
Jeff began his study of pet therapy by receiving approval from his school and from the Children's Hospital's Institutional Review Board, which must approve all studies involving the hospital's patients. Once approved, Jeff brought a licensed pet therapy dog and her owner to the hospital's oncology center. Of the 11 children that visited the clinic that day, 6 played with the dog prior to their treatments. Jeff questioned all 11 children afterward about their level of pain and anxiety and analyzed their level of distraction. He found that the ones who had encountered the dog had a marked decrease in discomfort during their treatment.
