**By Ryan Craig**

A year after The Spectator profiled Justin Friedlander, he is still helping others despite the odds stacked against him. 

Friedlander, a 13-year-old who attends The Bullis School, was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor in March 2009.  Instead of letting his sickness control his life, he felt inspired to help others.  He and his family created the foundation “Justin’s Quest” to help raise money for finding a cure.

“After Justin was diagnosed with a brain tumor we decided to turn a negative situation positive,” Justin’s father, Jon, said.  “But we also wanted to help others.”

To help raise money and awareness, Friedlander goes to different events and shoots basketballs. He hopes that the celebrities he shoots with will attract the media and help his cause.             “When you shoot with celebrities it just gets the word out more,” Friedlander said.

Justin hopes that the celebrities he shoots with will draw enough attention so others will donate to his organization.  So far he has collected $40,000, a significant dent in his ultimate goal of raising $250,000.

Friedlander has made it his mission to shoot 63,000 baskets—one for every person diagnosed with brain cancer each year—and will shoot with anybody willing to support the cause.  He has played ball with Michael Phelps, John Wall and most recently, President Obama.

Friedlander said President Obama told him that it was an honor to be with his family, and to “stay strong”.

Friedlander doesn’t want to stop after playing with the president; he wants to shoot with other star basketball players.

“I want to go to the next level,” Friedlander said. “I want to raise more money and I want to bring another big guy to shoot with—maybe Lebron, Bosh or Wade.”
Friedlander lives an extremely busy life, and without the help of others, he wouldn’t be able to manage his time.

“I got a lot of help from my brothers, my family and my sisters,” Friedlander said.  “If I didn’t have them I couldn’t do any of it.”

Though he is juggling school and his own fight against brain cancer, he still finds time to tally his baskets.

“Until we find a cure, I’m not going to stop,” Friedlander said.