Jayden's medical treatment fund
Donation protected
The first eleven years of Jayden Miller’s life passed uneventfully in the small, quiet town of Arcadia, Wisconsin. She had always done well in school, and spent her free time watching Japanese animation, drawing, and playing video games with her five siblings. In October of 2011, however, as most of her seventh grade peers shifted their attention from fall fashions and school supplies to selecting perfect Halloween costumes – twelve year old Jayden Miller faced a much heavier concern. Shortly after a doctor’s visit regarding a growing pain in her right leg, Jayden was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma, the most common type of bone cancer that is most prevalent among individuals ages 10-30.
The news was crushing, but fortunately, the diagnosis occurred early enough for Jayden to pursue life-saving treatment. In December of 2011, the infected bone in Jayden’s right leg was surgically replaced with a donor bone, and healthy bone taken from her left lower leg. The surgery resulted in major muscle loss, a permanent limp, and a scar that nearly runs the length of Jayden’s thigh. From November of 2011 until June of 2012, Jayden received chemotherapy at Saint Mary’s Hospital in Rochester, Minnesota. The chemotherapy induced such horrible nausea that Jayden frequently refused food for days at a time, and had to rely on a feeding tube to receive her nourishment. But Jayden was strong. She fought. She survived. She beat cancer. And in doing so, she became a local hero and a source of inspiration to family, friends, and the small town of Arcadia, Wisconsin that had rallied behind her.
Jayden’s victory came at a price, though. Her survival cost her so many of the things that 12 year olds take for granted. From November to June, Jayden’s education had been limited to reading textbooks in hospital beds. Her social life consisted of conversations with her mom on her weekly hour-and-a-half drives to and from Saint Mary’s. Jayden also lost all of her hair- a major ordeal for a twelve year old girl. After seven months of just surviving, Jayden was ready to embrace life. Returning to school for eighth grade, Jayden immediately acclimated to life as a teenager: hanging out with friends whenever possible, earning straight A’s, feverishly producing art, seeking new experiences and trying new things.
Jayden continued to live free of cancer for the year and half that followed, but in January of 2014, cancer returned. This time, the cancer was located in both of her lungs. Once again, Jayden underwent surgery, followed by another nine months of chemotherapy. Her parents were grateful that Jayden had again survived cancer, but its recurrence solidified her parent’s fears that her cancer would never be a distant memory, and that they would forever remain in a state of fearful vigilance. Jayden, however, had a different perspective. Certainly, she was frustrated and afraid. But after her second round of chemo, Jayden picked up where she left off. She continued earning straight A’s and (she is currently a junior in high school with a 4.0 GPA). She continued playing the clarinet in her high school band. She joined her high school drama club and performed in its productions. She earned 31 out of 36 possible points on the ACT college entrance exam. She got a driver’s permit. She fell in love with a boy named Collin. She refused to let fear dominate her relationship with life, and has lived life with the appreciation that only seems to come to those who nearly lose it.
In November of 2015, the cancer returned again. This time, it is in four places: Jayden’s right leg below her knee, the top of her left femur, her left hip, and her lungs. Jayden’s consulting doctors at Rochester, Minnesota’s Mayo Clinic informed her that – due to how widely the cancer has spread – neither surgery nor chemotherapy can cure it. Consequently, Jayden has been advised to find a clinical trial. Currently, Jayden is receiving alternative holistic treatments twice a week at a facility that is 160 miles and two and a half hours away, taking several natural glutathione enhancing products, and is applying to clinical trials that seem promising. She is still fighting. But she cannot win the fight on her own. Please help her to stay in the ring. Please stand with her. Please help her win this fight.
Any funds donated will be greatly appreciated and will be used for medical and travel expenses that have been accumulating while Jayden's family and doctor's search for a treatment to save her life.
The news was crushing, but fortunately, the diagnosis occurred early enough for Jayden to pursue life-saving treatment. In December of 2011, the infected bone in Jayden’s right leg was surgically replaced with a donor bone, and healthy bone taken from her left lower leg. The surgery resulted in major muscle loss, a permanent limp, and a scar that nearly runs the length of Jayden’s thigh. From November of 2011 until June of 2012, Jayden received chemotherapy at Saint Mary’s Hospital in Rochester, Minnesota. The chemotherapy induced such horrible nausea that Jayden frequently refused food for days at a time, and had to rely on a feeding tube to receive her nourishment. But Jayden was strong. She fought. She survived. She beat cancer. And in doing so, she became a local hero and a source of inspiration to family, friends, and the small town of Arcadia, Wisconsin that had rallied behind her.
Jayden’s victory came at a price, though. Her survival cost her so many of the things that 12 year olds take for granted. From November to June, Jayden’s education had been limited to reading textbooks in hospital beds. Her social life consisted of conversations with her mom on her weekly hour-and-a-half drives to and from Saint Mary’s. Jayden also lost all of her hair- a major ordeal for a twelve year old girl. After seven months of just surviving, Jayden was ready to embrace life. Returning to school for eighth grade, Jayden immediately acclimated to life as a teenager: hanging out with friends whenever possible, earning straight A’s, feverishly producing art, seeking new experiences and trying new things.
Jayden continued to live free of cancer for the year and half that followed, but in January of 2014, cancer returned. This time, the cancer was located in both of her lungs. Once again, Jayden underwent surgery, followed by another nine months of chemotherapy. Her parents were grateful that Jayden had again survived cancer, but its recurrence solidified her parent’s fears that her cancer would never be a distant memory, and that they would forever remain in a state of fearful vigilance. Jayden, however, had a different perspective. Certainly, she was frustrated and afraid. But after her second round of chemo, Jayden picked up where she left off. She continued earning straight A’s and (she is currently a junior in high school with a 4.0 GPA). She continued playing the clarinet in her high school band. She joined her high school drama club and performed in its productions. She earned 31 out of 36 possible points on the ACT college entrance exam. She got a driver’s permit. She fell in love with a boy named Collin. She refused to let fear dominate her relationship with life, and has lived life with the appreciation that only seems to come to those who nearly lose it.
In November of 2015, the cancer returned again. This time, it is in four places: Jayden’s right leg below her knee, the top of her left femur, her left hip, and her lungs. Jayden’s consulting doctors at Rochester, Minnesota’s Mayo Clinic informed her that – due to how widely the cancer has spread – neither surgery nor chemotherapy can cure it. Consequently, Jayden has been advised to find a clinical trial. Currently, Jayden is receiving alternative holistic treatments twice a week at a facility that is 160 miles and two and a half hours away, taking several natural glutathione enhancing products, and is applying to clinical trials that seem promising. She is still fighting. But she cannot win the fight on her own. Please help her to stay in the ring. Please stand with her. Please help her win this fight.
Any funds donated will be greatly appreciated and will be used for medical and travel expenses that have been accumulating while Jayden's family and doctor's search for a treatment to save her life.
Organizer
Cindy Usner Miller
Organizer
Arcadia, WI