Free Care Fund helps pay for 11-year-old Jayden's chemo treatments for sickle cell disease
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — The 71st Annual KDKA Free Care Fund Telethon is on Thursday. Eleven-year-old Jayden Randall of Carrick is one of the children who is alive and thriving today thanks to UPMC Children's Hospital.
Making the team at Obama Academy symbolizes something greater for Jayden.
"They told me when he was very little that he wouldn't play sports," said mom Ebony Randall. "He has defied all the odds with this disease. I kinda look at him as my miracle child."
Jayden has sickle cell disease, a lifelong illness. He takes a handful of pills every day. Forgetting to do so could be a matter of life or death.
"I just remember because I know it's important," he said.
At 1-month-old, Jayden was diagnosed with hemoglobin sickle cell. It was then that the Randall family's team of support began to form at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.
"The journey was crazy. It kinda sent me into a depression for a little bit because I didn't understand why he had the disease or how he got it," said Ebony.
But then, Ebony decided to play offense. She took a risk. At 10 months, she decided to go with chemo as a preferred treatment for Jayden.
"It has worked for us. I don't know if it works for every family but it has helped us and the cost of that is so much that if I didn't have the Free Care Fund, we couldn't afford it. I just would be working just to pay for chemo," she said.
It was a tremendous help and continues to be. Two years ago life tried to foul Jayden again.
"Jayden got influenza A and then he immediately got COVID behind that and the virus that was left behind, his body couldn't fight it," said Ebony.
Because of his disease, Jayden couldn't shake it off. He went into septic shock. He spent nearly two weeks at UPMC Children's. He lost motion in his legs. But his doctors and nurses refused to call a timeout, saying the game wasn't over.
"They brought me a basketball hoop up, like a short one, like four feet, and they let me shoot it from the bed," he said.
Jayden eventually built up his strength and learned to stand on his own and walk again.
"Watching him play always makes me, you know, I'm very excited, because I remember a time when he couldn't," Ebony said.
Now, this is his third shot. And the Randalls couldn't be more grateful for the assist donors to the Free Care Fund have given them.
"It's situations like this that your money goes to, it's giving my son a life, a life he probably would not have had if we didn't have the fund and the money from Children's Hospital," Ebony said.
It's through your help and the help of so many others that Jayden lives.
"You're donating your money to a great cause," he said.
And you can help children just like Jayden this Thursday during the 71st Annual KDKA Free Care Fund Telethon. The Free Care Fund at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh ensures no child is ever denied medical care.
You can donate to the Free Care Fund during the telethon from 3 p.m. until 8 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 19.
