'I can't die. I'm busy': Brain cancer patient and his mom save lives by pushing care in new ways

Jace Ward had one goal when he died of a brain tumor a year ago: to make the path easier for others. A year later, his mother still pursues that dream.

USA TODAY

Lisa Ward's son Jace has been gone for a year. But his impact on the care of children with brain cancer continues. Lisa makes sure of that.

Jace, of Wamego, Kansas, was 20 and a sophomore at Kansas State University when he was diagnosed with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, DIPG, a particularly aggressive form of brain cancer that usually strikes younger children. Affecting about 300 Americans a year, DIPG spreads its tentacles through the brainstem where functions such as breathing and movement are controlled.

The neurologist who diagnosed Jace said he probably had six to nine months to live.

"I'm not afraid to die," Lisa remembers Jace saying. "I'm afraid to not have enough impact before I do."