Teen with Brain Tumor Uses His Make-a-Wish to Throw Christmas in July for Sick Kids

Jude Boussom, 17, tells PEOPLE he wanted to "give back to people that had it harder than I did"

While recovering from a brain tumor, Jude Boussom decided to use his Make-a-Wish to help other sick kids feel better through a recent Christmas in July event across the children’s hospitals of Michigan.

“I wanted to give back to people that had it harder than I did,” says Boussom, 17. “It was pretty amazing to see the joy.”

After experiencing severe headaches and some memory loss in late 2020, Boussom's doctors discovered a growth on his brain in early 2021.

"It was one of the worst days of my life," recalls his father Jason, 50. "The doctors doing the MRI spent a long time in the monitoring booth and they pulled me out and said, 'Your son has a mass on his brain. He has extreme hydrocephalus, which is a life-threatening condition that we need to address at this moment.' "

Boussom went into emergency surgery and spent several weeks in and out of the ICU, suffering from what his dad calls "blinding" headaches for one year afterward. But now through treatment, "there are rarely any more headaches," the teen shares.

During their time in the ICU, Jason learned his son qualified for a Make-a-Wish. "Not knowing much about the organization, we thought it was for terminal kids," Jason says, adding that he eventually learned it's often for kids with critical illnesses, many of whom go on to survive.

"It's an important part of a child's medical treatment — a springboard for families going forward," Jason adds.

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Given his son's state, Jason waited one year to tell him about his opportunity with the organization. But once they had the conversation, Boussom knew instantly he wanted to give back.

"I asked him a couple of times if he was sure about it," says Jason. "He's built different than a lot of people — he's always been caring and wanting other people to be happier and more comfortable than himself. So it didn't really surprise me. We couldn't be more proud of him."

Boussom settled on a Christmas in July "because I saw how hard it was for people in the hospital, and knew they could really use some extra help along the way," he says. Knowing that many hospitals often receive donated gifts for young patients around the actual holidays, "I thought, 'Why not give them a little extra holiday?' " he recalls.

Michael Hull, president and CEO of Make-a-Wish Michigan, says the organization "really went crazy" with Boussom's Wish.

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"We made it our mission to make sure that we were walking into every hospital with toys for all ages," says Hull, 39. "We had technology gifts for the older kids and everything down to Little Tikes for the small kids — it was like a toy chest we set up. And when each child walked in, you could see it on their face. They saw toys, they saw Santa. They were having the best time ever."

Hull says that while it's not unusual for some recipients to give their Wishes to others, "this is one of the largest movements that I've ever witnessed."

"I'm super thankful for everybody that's helped me along the way — I couldn't have done it without all of them," Boussom says. "And I'll never forget seeing the joy those kids had when they were able to get some presents in the middle of July."

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