St. Baldrick’s 2014 Ambassadors: A Year to Remember
2014 was a memorable year for St. Baldrick’s, with our volunteers raising over $4 million more than last year and funding a total of $27.2 million in research grants! As the year comes to a close, our 2014 Ambassadors reflect on the past year and how much YOU — the people who make the magic happen — mean to them.
Ambassador Hayden Starts Kindergarten
As Hayden’s mom, Jackie, explains, nothing could hold Hayden back from starting kindergarten — not even childhood cancer.
Hayden is still in treatment for childhood cancer.
He is currently in the maintenance phase of chemotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, which means daily oral chemo and a monthly visit to the doctor to have chemo through an IV or injected into his spine. This regimen will continue through February 2016.
Neuropathy in his legs — a side effect of his childhood cancer treatment — is still something that plagues him daily, leaving him with intense feelings of tingling and pain whether he is walking or sitting. It can make it difficult for him to play and get around as easily as other kids.
While it sounds like a lot, I don’t believe there was anything that could have held this kid back from starting kindergarten.
A Mother’s Thoughts from the Hospital Bedside
Jackie is mom to Hayden, 5, who is currently in treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most common cancer in children. Hayden is one of five St. Baldrick’s 2014 Ambassadors.
Meet Hayden
In the summer of 2012, Hayden was a happy, carefree 3-year-old who loved swimming and fishing in rivers. His whole world changed when, just five days shy of his fourth birthday, Hayden was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. His cancer diagnosis forced him to grow up fast: Just three months into treatment, Hayden proudly learned to swallow pills so he no longer had to taste the yucky cancer medicine. “He has a take-control approach towards his care,” his mom says.
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