There are countless ways to honor the memory of a passed love one.
Plaques. Scholarships. Headstones. Even golf outings.
But there are few ways more honorable than through public service.
Jason Silverman only walked this earth for six short years. But some 34 years later โ almost six times more than he lived โ Jasonโs memory lives on.
Itโs called โJay Dayโ, short for Jason and inspired by the young Silvermanโs fight with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. It is simply the best way that local dentist Dr. Robert Silveman could think of to honor his fallen son.
This yearโs Jay Day, the 34th annual celebration of Jasonโs life, will unfold on Friday, August 2, from 8am to 4pm, at Cornwall Family Dentistry, 850 Norman Drive in Lebanon. Throughout the day, walk-in patients may select one of the following dental services that be offered free of charge โ exam and cleaning, filling, or emergency treatment.
All are welcome, on a first-come, first-serve basis. No questions asked.
โI thought about it, and I figured Iโd do what I do best. Iโm good at dentistry,โ said Dr. Silverman, of the origin of the event. โItโs easy to give my services away. Itโs easy to straighten a smile. You can change someoneโs life completely by giving them a smile.
โI have to put myself in a work mode, because it brings up a lot of emotions,โ continued Silverman. โIf I didnโt, Iโd be crying all day. Itโs at the end of the day, when everything is done and Iโm sitting alone, thatโs when Iโll think about it. This way, his death wasnโt in vain.โ
Silverman is about four years removed from selling his own dental practice in Annville. He now works part-time at Cornwall Family Dentistry.
Silverman said the idea of discontinuing Jay Day never crossed his mind, and that his new family at Cornwall Family Dentistry really embraced the concept of giving back.
“Jay Day has never missed a beat,” said Silverman of the transition. โWhen I left my own practice and went over to Cornwall, they asked me if I wanted to continue it. Itโs found a new home. Theyโre doing it for the right reasons.
โWe started Jay Day on my sonโs birthday (September 5), the year after he died,โ added Silverman, “because people helped me out when he was sick. Itโs whatever we can perform in one day, and if we donโt get to them, weโll schedule a time for them to come back. Itโs a way of giving back.โ
Last year on Jay Day, Dr. Silverman and the rest of the staff at Cornwall Family Dentistry treated over a hundred patients in need. Over the years, some 5,000 local residents have taken advantage of Silvermanโs services.
โItโs been extremely successful,โ said Silverman. โIn Annville, we were seeing 180 people a day, which is a lot of people. They started lining up at 4:30 in the morning. For a lot of people, itโs the only time they get to the dentist. Weโre reaching a part of the population who canโt afford dentistry.
โItโs really nice to hear that weโve helped a lot of people over the years,โ continued Silverman. โWeโre approaching it like itโs a new year, a new group of people. Itโs a good feeling, but thereโs other people who canโt get there. These people donโt have anything at all. Theyโre living day-to-day. Itโs sad that theyโre left in pain. It can be hell if you have a toothache and have nowhere to go.โ
In the early 1980s, Jason Silverman was very young when he was diagnosed with ALL. He spent a good portion of his life battling the affliction.
โHe was at Hershey Med Center for a while, and it was in remission,โ said Silverman. โBut after the remission, it popped up again and we had to go for a bone marrow transplant in Iowa. His brother Ben was his donor. Jason did well with the transplant. But he ended up getting mumps and there was no way they could save him. He went downhill after that.
โAt that time, the community was amazing,โ Silverman continued. โI wasnโt even from the area. People just reached out, and they were going to help my son out. I was just taken aback. They were people who I didnโt even know. Before that, I wasnโt overly benevolent. I started spreading out because I thought it wasnโt enough. We still do Jay Day every year.โ
At 72 years of age, Silverman is still going strong, and Jay Day right along with him. But even when he does lose the dexterity of his dental fingers, he hopes his sonโs legacy will continue to live on.
โAs long as my body holds up, Iโm going to continue to do it,โ said Silverman. โI like dentistry. And as long as thereโs a place like Cornwall Family Dentistry, theyโll continue it. Hopefully after Iโm long gone, my son will still be honored. If it goes 50 years or 75 years, thatโs great. Someoneโs got to be there to help people out.
โJay Day is for everybody, not just for kids,โ concluded Silverman. โIf they hear about it, theyโre eligible. We donโt restrict it to Lebanon County. If they can get here, weโre going to help them. Thereโs no charge. Thereโs no obligation. We get it done. They can save hundreds of dollars.โ
Somewhere, Jason is smiling.