When news broke earlier this year of Jeanette Lee’s Stage 4 Ovarian Cancer diagnosis, the world was left shocked and devastated for one of pool’s largest icons. Our collective hearts sank for the beloved Black Widow, and her family. And then, the billiard community showed the world how they take care of one of their own.
The Black Widow Legacy GoFundMe page was launched with an ambitious goal of $250,000 to support Jeanette’s medical expenses and to help ensure the day-to-day needs and the college expenses of her three young children would be secure.
Shortly thereafter, APA’s Jason Bowman and Mike Panozzo of Billiards Digest hosted “A Night to Celebrate the Black Widow”, a live stream event featuring many of pool’s top players raising awareness for the Legacy Fund. Several tournaments and fundraisers were soon to follow across the country, and the globe, all in support of Jeanette.
Today the Black Widow Legacy Fund stands at nearly $245,000, with more than 3,100 people having donated. Some donations of note were Johnny Morris, owner of Bass Pro, generously donating $50,000 and Nascar Legend Tony Stewart donating $10,000. The vast majority of donations, however, were of the smaller variety and came from APA members, league players, pro players, friends and fans, all wanting to do anything possible to come to the Black Widow’s aid in her time of need.
“I am absolutely humbled and overwhelmed by the amount of support I am getting. As we approach our goal of $250,000, we have decided to end the campaign. You guys have done enough. I will be forever grateful. I can now concentrate solely on fighting the disease secure in the knowledge that my girls, Cheyenne, Chloe and Savannah will be well taken care of,“ said Lee.
Jeanette came through major surgery well and continues to undergo chemotherapy treatments and is handling them as well as possible. Doctors are hopeful for a period of remission after she completes her sixth round of chemo in early June.
“They say that a positive outlook helps you beat cancer. The notes and well-wishes that came through GoFundMe were incredibly warm and encouraging. They buoyed my spirits. I am still dedicated to beating this thing and, if I do, the fans who responded will be a big part of the reason why,” added Lee.