- April 25, 2024
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Brayden's class has his back. After a suggestion from a staff member at Bunnell Elementary, the class posed like this to show their support of Brayden (facing forward with his teacher Victoria Mayhew). Photo by Jacque Estes
Brittney Hedetniemi gives her son Brayden Norton-Henry a kiss during his cupcake party on Bray Day at Bunnell Elementary. Photo by Jacque Estes
Bunnell Principal Richard Dupont and Brayden have their picture taken on Bray Day. Photo by Jacque Estes
With his mom at his side, Brayden sits in the teacher's chair, and talks to his class about leukemia. Photo by Jacque Estes
Brittney Hedetniemi helps Brayden talk to his class. Photo by Jacque Estes
Orange is the awareness color for Leukemia.
In classrooms, the front office, and on the playground at Bunnell Elementary, orange was worn in solidarity for one of their own on Thursday, April 21 – kindergarten student, Brayden Norton-Henry.
“We are celebrating Brayden's one year, since diagnosis,” his mother Brittney Hedetniemi said. “He was diagnosed on April 21, 2015 and we wanted to celebrate with the community that has been behind us, what we like to call “Brayden's Army.”
“I want awareness, not just for Brayden, but for all of the children in the county who are fighting cancer, and there are a lot. He is representing all of the children who are battling, and those who have lost the battle.”
BRAYDEN'S MOM, Brittney Hedetniemi.
Brayden joined Victoria Mayhew's kindergarten class after spring break, and he's fitting right in. He's fitting into a lot of things, like baseball – he plays pitching machine baseball for Flagler Baseball.
“He has physical therapy three days a week, we go to Arnold Palmer Hospital twice a month for chemo and procedures, and he has chemo at home every night,” Hedetniemi said.
“Break it down into their terms,” Hedetniemi said. “We have a program at the hospital (Arnold Palmer) called Child Life and they have been amazing at explaining to Brayden what is happening. We try to be up front with Brayden, but on his level. He knows when he is going to have to have a procedure, he knows when he is going to have to have blood drawn, and he knew when he was going to lose his hair again.”
Brayden is all smiles as he sits with his classmates and works on a butterfly project. His favorite subject in school is math.
He hasn't decided on a career. Like any kindergartener the answer changes, in Brayden's case – in the middle of his answer.
“I would like to be a teacher – no, I want to be a cook,” he said.
“Last week he wanted to be a helicopter pilot,” his mom laughed.
Brayden can explain what is being done about his disease.
“I get my port accessed every day, and they put a little thing on the tube, and they can flush it,” he said.
He is very practical when it comes to loosing his hair.
“I like to be bald,” he said. “So I don't have to wash my hair every day.”
Many of the orange shirts are embroidered with sayings like “Hope for Bray.” Each was made by Lisa Bordis in her new FaceBook shop, All in Stitches.
“We made some for quite a few of our friends,” Bordis said. “Brayden has a baseball game tonight, and they wanted shirts to wear.”
Hedetniemi and Bordis were children when they first met. Their mothers worked together at the former Ormond Memorial Hospital. The two were expecting their first children at the same time, and Hedetniemi said Bordis has been there for her every step of the way.
Brayden sits in his teacher's chair, his classmates are gathered around on the floor, listening intently. With some help from his mom, kindergarteners often get shy when asked to speak to a group, he explains why sometimes he has to leave for doctors appointments, about his disease, and that soon he will probably lose his blond head of hair.
He explained red cells – energy; bad white cells – leukemia; good white cells – soldiers that fight the germs; and platelets – like bandaids, they make you stop bleeding.
He lifts his shirt and shows the bump on his chest where his port is.
“He gets a needle put in,” his mom starts to say, when there's a gasp from a classmate. Braydon jumps in; “I don't feel it though, because they put numbing cream on it.”
“We are wearing orange today, because a year ago, he was diagnosed with leukemia,” Hedetniemi said. “This is a really big and important day, because we are here, and he is able to play baseball and be in your kindergarten class.”
“Is Brayden's favorite color orange,” a classmate called out.
“Now it is,” Brayden responded.
