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SARASOTA, Fl (CNN) — Back in 2002, cancer wasn't on Jon Albert's radar. He and his wife Jill had successful careers and busy lives, caring for their two young children, Jake, 9, and Jamie, 7.
That all changed when Jill found a lump in her breast. Told the cancer had been caught early, she was given a 97 percent chance of survival. But several months later, she learned the disease had spread.
"The cruelest part of cancer is the emotional pain," Jon Albert said. "Jill would cry herself to sleep in fear that Jake and Jamie would forget her. But we took advantage of that window in which we knew that the battle was being lost to rack up the memories."
Going through treatment, they noticed how many other families with young children were in the same situation — facing the same fears and concerns.
"I had an epiphany," he said. "What about giving these families positive time away, together as a family?"
By early 2006, Jill's condition had worsened, so Jon left his job to spend more time with her and research setting up a nonprofit.
That November, the family hosted a kickoff celebration for the Jack & Jill Late Stage Cancer Foundation, named for the nickname friends had given them as a couple. Jill attended in a wheelchair, along with Jake and Jamie, then 13 and 11. It was their last outing as a family.
The next morning, Jill had to be admitted to the hospital. She died 12 days later.
"They say that people tend to hang in there for certain milestones, and I'm convinced she did," Albert said.
Today, the nonprofit helps families battling late-stage cancer by arranging trips — which they call "WOW! Experiences" — that let them spend quality time together.
Most vacations involve traveling to one of the foundation's partner resorts or hotels, where families receive special attention. The group also arranges special VIP activities during the trip, like going to a major league sports practice or helping feed animals at the zoo. Everything — travel, meals, activities — is free.
"We take families from driveway to driveway. We don't want them to lift a finger," Albert said. "The only thing we haven't figured out how to do yet is pack for them."
The group has so far helped more than 1,000 families. Every trip is different, but the goal is always the same: "We are trying to give each family their own unique treasured time together," he said.
Most of the patients have passed away within a few months of their trip. For Albert, that makes his work all the more bittersweet.
"I couldn't save my wife's life, but I can do this," he said. "When a mom or dad says to me that 'I can die in peace knowing that my children will always have this,' it's all worth it."
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