Riverview Elementary student Jaden Page will meet his NBA hero this month after battling cancer for a year and a half.
The Make-A-Wish Foundation plans to send Jaden, 10, and his family to meet Golden State Warriors All-Pro Stephen Curry in California, his mom Natasha Page said.
“This year and a half has been nothing less than brutal. ... He is just so deserving of this trip,” she said.
Page, a medical assistant, first noticed that her son was sick because his lymph nodes were swollen.
He was initially misdiagnosed, but she pushed for answers. After he was diagnosed with lymphoma, the family moved to Denver for a while as he underwent treatment, Page said.
Doctors told his family Jaden would survive but it would take about two years to treat the cancer. He is expected to receive chemotherapy treatment until September to prevent his cancer from reoccurring, she said.
Now in fourth grade, Jaden is in remission, back in school and playing basketball – his passion. After missing most of third grade, he is doing well in school and on the basketball court, which amazes his mom.
“His little body has been through much,” she said.
Both of Jaden’s parents play basketball. Jaden became a Curry fan while watching NBA games and learning about him on social media, she said. Curry is a two-time league MVP, a five-time NBA All-Star and two-time NBA Finals champion.
“He’s like the Michael Jordan for today’s kids,” Page said of Curry.
Jaden gravitated toward Curry because of his outspoken Christian faith and his promotion of the Bible verse: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” Page said.
During Jaden’s treatment, the family was supported by the community, especially people connected to the Pages through Riverview Elementary School, First United Methodist Church and Page’s employer, Four Corners Obstetrics and Gynecology. Page’s husband, Bryan, was also supported by his employer, north City Market.
“We could not have done this journey without our Durango family,” she said.
She keeps the community updated through Jaden’s GoFundMe page, where 344 people have donated $30,883 toward a $40,000 goal.
mshinn@durangoherald.com
