Jayden is an amazing 17-year old student at Clarkston High School and we're grateful to have him as our Honored Hero. While he is unable to play football anymore, he definitely enjoys watching! He also enjoys great food and playing video games. Here are a few words from his mother, Tanisha Scott, as spoken at our Students of the Year Kickoff on February 1, 2020.

I am a lupus survivor and I was on dialysis when at the age of 10, Jayden was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. To say that I was devastated doesn’t even rival the hopelessness that invaded my soul. I was already on the battlefield soldiering through my own health issues, and I was so scared, “How would I be able to care for my child the way he needed?” continually reverberated in my head. There are no words that can describe a mother’s feeling of helplessness when she can’t kiss the booboo away, then witnessing the many losses her child would face...the physical: hair, weight, the ability to stand, mouth sores that make it difficult to eat, the emotional: the feeling of defeat, depression, lack of confidence. All of these I struggled to see Jayden battle. But it was my faith in God that brought us through this valley. It was the determination and the Godly wisdom of his team of doctors and organizations such as LLS that championed us on.

LLS, I pray that God continues to pour back into you for all the love, encouragement, and support you give to families. Thank you for electing my son Jayden to be your Honored Hero. Navigating through his new normal has not been without its challenges, but because of your efforts, you have given New Hope, New Possibilities, New Life, to so many families, and I thank God that Jayden and I are among them. Thank you.