6-year-old Cayden is a fun and cheeky little boy, who loves to dance and play with his older brother, Christian.

In April 2020, when Cayden was only 3 years old, he was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia called acute lymphoblastic leukemia PH+.

It all started when Cayden started complaining of leg pain…

As the days went on, Cayden lost his appetite (and he was a big eater!), he came down with a persistent fever, and he stopped walking due to the excruciating pain. 

Cayden was eventually taken to the ER where they performed several tests, only for them all to come back clear.

It was recommended that Cayden get a blood test, and the next day he received the life-changing news…

Cayden had leukemia.

“My hands and feet went numb, I began to shake and sob uncontrollably. I remember collapsing in my husband's arms and didn’t hear anything after that. I have a horrible memory, but I remember that day like it was yesterday,” his mom told us. 

After receiving his diagnosis, Cayden was immediately rushed into surgery to get a port placed and to have an NG tube (nasogastric intubation) inserted, which is how he was receiving his oral chemotherapy throughout his treatment.

Since then, Cayden has endured…

• 19 x lumbar punctures

• 75 x overnight hospital stays

• 35 x transfusions

• 45 x infusions of chemotherapy

His parents had to give him his chemo and his other medications at home. He didn’t have an easy experience as the NG tube and administration of the chemo drugs was very uncomfortable for him.

Despite the pain and discomfort of treatment, this tough little guy never stopped fighting and always had a smile on his face.

Cayden finished his treatment in April 2022. Despite experiencing some post-treatment side effects such as high blood pressure and learning difficulties, Cayden was doing really well.

In February 2023, Cayden and his family received the devastating news... his cancer had returned.

Although this is difficult news, Cayden is a brave little boy who has already fought so hard and will continue to fight to beat this terrible disease.

Cayden is now part of a new treatment trial, which involves engineering his own T-cells to fight the cancer in his body.

His family, care team and all of us in the Great Cycle Challenge community will continue to support him, to ensure that cancer is only one part of his life, not his whole life.