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Hayden L.

Hayden always seems to have one of the brightest smiles on his face and is got so much energy. He is a fighter and a dreamer, and is going to big things in his life. It is difficult to be around him and not have smile on your own face.

Parents Names: Jeff and Bri 

Vick Chhabria, former BuckeyeThon President, says, “My favorite memories with Hayden was hanging out with him at CarnOval. We spent the evening playing soccer, running around on the west plaza, dancing, and of course riding the carousel. My favorite moment came when we were starting to pack up for the night. Hayden came up to me with probably one of the most adorable and innocent faces you could image. He told me "It would make my night, if you let me dunk you into the dunk tank". I really couldn't say no to him. Five minutes later I found myself repeatedly being dunked in the tank by Hayden. As cold as it was, watching him smile every time he saw me hit the bottom of the tank made my night.

Hayden's Favorite Things:

Favorite Color: Blue and sometimes pin 

Favorite Subject in School: Science

Favorite Movie: Cars 2 and Despicable Me

Favorite Book: Animal Encyclopedia

Favorite Candy: Skittles

Favorite Activity: Darts and Sports

Favorite Sport: Basketball and hockey

Favorite Character: Captain America

What he wants to be when he grows up: Baseball player and then a doctor when he retires

Haydens's Congenital Heart Defect Journey:

Hayden was diagnosed with Congenital Heart Block when his mom was 20 weeks pregnant. He is missing his AV node, which is the part of the heart that makes the top speak to the bottom. Because of this, his heart beats much too slowly. Hayden’s family was told because his heart rate was so slow his development might be delayed, he might be born with brain damage, or he might die from heart failure before he was large enough to be safely delivered. But Hayden did make it to 30 weeks, and he was born on the 4th of July, just like his favorite superhero, Captain America. When Hayden was 4 days old he received his first pacemaker. Because he was a preemie, one of the complications of his surgery was that the machine they used to help him breathe damaged his lungs. They believe this is what initially caused his Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia. When he was two, his pacemaker needed replaced. Last year he was hospitalized again with breathing issues. Hayden was diagnosed with Adrenal Insufficiency (AI) at the beginning of this year. His body doesn’t produce cortisol and cortisol is necessary for life. Because of Al he lacks stamina and if he gets a common illness it could escalate quickly. As Hayden gets older he understands more about how he’s different and about the challenges that he faces. Through everything, BuckeyeThon has been the constant bright spot in his life. His family is so grateful that as things with Hayden continue to progress, he has the love and support of so many students and well-wishers!

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