Cancer never defined him.

Before Everything Else

He was a person first.

From the beginning, Jayden had a fight in him.

At just 18 months old, he was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma. He underwent chemotherapy and radiation before he was even old enough to understand what cancer meant. He beat it, and for nearly 15 years, cancer became part of his past.

Jayden grew up doing the things he loved. Sports were a huge part of his life. He loved basketball and especially wrestling, where his determination and competitive nature shined. Jayden became a two-time state wrestling champion, an accomplishment that perfectly represented who he was. When Jayden wanted something, he worked for it.

He also had an incredible love for music. Heavy metal was his music. He taught himself to play guitar, attended School of Rock, and could completely lose himself when he picked up a guitar. He was inspired by bands like Metallica, Motley Crue, The Misfits, Nirvana, Megadeth and Slipknot, and guitar players like Jimi Hendrix and Eddie Van Halen. Music became an even bigger part of his life as he got older, and one of his unforgettable experiences was getting the opportunity to meet Metallica.

Jayden was truly an old soul who enjoyed the simple things in life. He had a wild imagination as a child and was full of energy. He was a Cub Scout.

His Fight

Two different cancers, one relentless fight.

Then, at 17 years old, Jayden's life changed again. On November 1, 2023, he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma. The cancer developed in an area that had previously been treated with radiation during his childhood cancer. Jayden was facing cancer for the second time in his young life.

On January 5, 2024, he underwent a massive hemipelvectomy to remove the tumor. What followed were surgeries, chemotherapy, hospital stays, complications, radiation, scans and treatments.

But if you only knew that part of Jayden's story, you wouldn't really know Jayden. Because while everyone around him was watching him fight cancer, Jayden was still busy living.

Only months after his hemipelvectomy, he went to prom. He graduated high school. He worked incredibly hard to regain his independence, climbed stairs again, and got back behind the wheel and drove his Mustang again.

He continued going to concerts, playing his guitar, and spending time with his friends, his siblings and family, making memories whenever he could.

Jayden never wanted cancer to become his identity. He could make us laugh even during some of the hardest moments of our lives. His stubbornness could drive you crazy, but that same stubbornness was also part of what made him such an incredible fighter.

One year after his hemipelvectomy, we challenged Jayden to do push-ups and offered him money for every one he could complete. Of course, Jayden started knocking them out. Afterward, in typical Jayden fashion, he joked that it was a good thing we hadn't offered him $25 per push-up. That was Jayden.

Cancer continued to progress, eventually spreading beyond its original location. His treatment options became fewer, but Jayden never stopped wanting to live. We continued searching for treatments and possibilities, and he continued fighting. Even as things became harder, there were still moments of laughter, music, love and memories.

His Timeline

Twenty years, marked.

His Legacy

His final days, and what came after.

On June 4, 2026, Jayden turned 20 years old, a birthday he shares with his dad and little sister.

On this day, Jayden came home. We knew our time together was becoming very short, so two days later, on June 6, we packed as much life and love as we possibly could into one day. We celebrated holidays together, including Christmas. That day, Jayden received a new guitar. He picked it up and played Free Bird. And he told us he loved us. It would be one of the last and most precious memories we would ever make together as a family.

On June 9, 2026, at 12:20 p.m., five days after his 20th birthday, Jayden took his final breath at home, surrounded by the people who loved him most.

While still in treatment, Jayden had already started building something lasting: Cards 4 Cancer, sending trading cards to kids battling cancer across the country. The JaydenZ Foundation was created in his honor to continue that work, and everything else he wanted to build.

The Emblem

Jayden designed this himself.

He designed it himself. He called us in and showed us. When we looked at it, we knew that was a true Jayden logo.

In His Own Words

The things he always said.

He had his own language too. "Okie Dokie." "Yo Pop's." "Please Be Safe."

And whenever his mom Cassie said "to infinity," Jayden always answered, "and beyond."

Twenty Years

Not measured by their length.

Jayden lived only 20 years, but those 20 years cannot be measured simply by their length.

They are measured in wrestling championships and guitar strings. In heavy metal and concerts. In prom and graduation. In learning to drive again. In laughter and stubbornness. In friendships, family and love. In doing things people weren't sure he would ever be able to do again.

And in an extraordinary young man who faced more in 20 years than most people will face in a lifetime, and somehow continued to find reasons to live, laugh and love through all of it.

Cancer is part of Jayden's story. But it is not who Jayden was.

Jayden was strong. Jayden was funny. Jayden was determined. Jayden loved deeply, fought fiercely and lived fully. And above everything else, Jayden was loved beyond words.

That is his story. And we will tell it forever.