Jeff Mortimer, Teen Rapper Battling Rare Form Of Cancer, Lands Record Deal With Sony: 'Life Is Too Short; You Can't Stay Sad All Day'
![Young Jay](https://d.medicaldaily.com/en/full/286366/young-jay.png?w=623&f=547dcfc88255798e2f47ba924a0b2373)
When West Palm Beach teen rapper Jeff Mortimer was diagnosed with spindle cell sarcoma at 16 years old, he knew it would not hold him back from following his dreams. Fast forward through three years of radiation and chemotherapy treatments, and Mortimer, who goes by his rap name “Young Jay,” is right where we wants to be: performing with his group “LDL 365” and signing a record deal with Sony.
"He reminds me every single day to live life to the fullest," a children’s specialist with Palm Beach Children’s Hospital, Brittany Williams told WPBF. “Jeff comes on the mike and our hearts and our jaws just dropped all of us.”
Although he is currently battling a relapse following his three years of radiation and chemo, Mortimer remains positive on his outlook on life and even works to inspire young people in similar situations. He helped pilot a music program at Palm Beach Children’s Hospital to assist young musicians battling cancer with achieving their goals. Now that Mortimer’s doctors are switching him from intravenous chemotherapy treatments to a pill form, he is excited to start touring with “LDL 365,” which stands for “Living the Life 365 Days A Year."
"Life is too short; you can't stay sad all day," Mortimer told WPBF. "We struggle 365 days of the year, so why not live the life as long as we're struggling 365? Life really don't wait for no one so whatever happens and doors that open, take them, go for it, try it. You learn something new every day."
According to the American Cancer Society, spindle cell sarcoma, also known as soft tissue sarcoma, is a type of cancer that develops from certain tissues like bone or muscle. Around 12,020 new spindle cell sarcoma diagnoses are estimated for 2014, and 4,740 Americans are estimated to die as a result of their diagnosis.