GONZALES, La. (BRPROUD) – Car parades have become a common way to celebrate during the pandemic.
In Ascension Parish, people lined the streets for something more monumental than a birthday or graduation.
Hundreds of friends, family, and some people he has never met have come to celebrate Hayden White, and the life he has ahead of him.
“I was super duper surprised that they did this for me,” Hayden said.
In April, one month after Louisiana was put in a COVID-19 lockdown, the White family was hit with their own battle.
“We thought he had growing pains for about a month because his leg was hurting, but it was so inconsistent,” Hayden’s mom, Karen, said.
But the 8-year-old’s condition was much more serious, and before they knew it, Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital became their second home.
Hayden was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in the leg, a rare form of bone cancer. He began the fight of his life–18 rounds of chemotherapy and surgery to remove the tumor.
“The main question he had was whether he was going to die, and at the time, we didn’t know,” Karen said.
“He got really skinny at one point, I think he was down to 43 pounds,” Corey, Hayden’s dad, said.
Hayden never gave up, and after 32 weeks, he made a remarkable recovery.
“I beat cancer and I want every other kid to know that you’ll be ok,” Hayden said.
His positive attitude has made an impact on everyone around him. Hayden’s bus driver, Leah Millet is one of them.
Millet creates positive relationships with all of her students, and Hayden’s diagnosis hit her right in the heart.
“We would say a prayer on my bus, we would pass through and say a prayer every day,” Millet said.
She says it’s his resilience that stands out.
He’s been through more than most adults or anybody will have to and he has never once complained,” she said.
Now cancer-free, Hayden is enjoying life.
Hundreds of loved ones welcomed him home to congratulate the kid who overcame the hardest battle of his life– making us all think when we’re going through a challenging time, ”what would Hayden do?’