When spirited 14-year-old Jayden Jansen van Vuuren got diagnosed with acute leukemia in December, of last year, it was devastating to both him and his family.
Although currently in remission, the journey so far has been nothing short of ‘hard and very emotional.’
What started as a visit to the emergency room for a fever and being so weak that he could barely walk, unexpectedly led to a cancer diagnosis when blood tests revealed the harsh truth just two hours later.
He spent most of January in hospital receiving a blood transfusion, undergoing chemotherapy and isolating.
But the hardest part of it all that school-loving Jayden had to accept was that he won’t be able to return to school until next year, while his friends started the new school year, created new memories together and celebrated birthday parties – all celebrations he wished he could’ve attended.
But despite the ups and downs of the last two months, Jayden has not stopped smiling once, something he is admired for as his resilience continues to shine through, inspiring everyone around him.
Dealing with the fear of a cancer diagnosis while trying to navigate the unknown is an unavoidable challenge – one Jayden’s mother, Riana Jansen van Vuuren, can deeply testify to.
“Mom is tired and emotionally drained…It is a lot, but we are hanging in there,” an emotionally drained Riana expressed.
When the news broke, Riana described it as the ‘worst news ever’ and explained that she felt like a zombie and didn’t know what to do during the first few days.
While Jayden is facing his toughest battle yet, his mother is incredibly proud of the courage he’s shown fighting the disease.
His infectious smile is a source of strength for a tired mother who is giving her all every day so that her biggest wish can come true – to see him completely healed and back in school.
“I would be in a state; I would be depressed but he just keeps on smiling. This child amazes me,” she proudly mentioned.
“He had his days when he got homesick and when he had the bone marrow withdrawals; that was sore and he was in pain, but he still smiles. We made a point of it when we visited him at the hospital to make him laugh and play games.”
When faced with unexpected and overwhelming challenges, such as cancer, Riana finds strength and comfort in her faith to get her through the tough days.
“My mom [Jayden’s grandmother] visited us the night before they got the result from the first bone marrow test, which was clean.
“She said that she had a dream of David and Goliath. But in her dream, she saw Jayden as David and the cancer as Goliath. She knows that God gave her the message that Jayden is going to beat the cancer. The next day we received the results that the bone marrow was clean and that he is now in remission,” Riana added.
Since then, Jayden has earned himself the nickname of ‘my little David’ from his grandmother, who also helps take care of him during the day.
While the journey ahead may be filled with a lot of fear and uncertainty, he continues to fight the cancer with a smile – a smile that embodies hope, strength and resilience.
And one thing is for sure, ‘little David’ will not stop fighting until he’s healthy so that he can return to school and fulfil his dream of becoming an architect or a professional gamer one day.
