Aedyn started having leg pain and bruising around December 2006, just before his second birthday. His mom took Aedyn to the ER several times, to his pediatrician on multiple occasions and even to orthopedic doctors. Everyone had the same diagnosis: growing pains. Finally, in April of 2007 Aedyn’s parents drove the hour to Lake Havasu City from Kingman, Arizona to try another ER. There, the doctors informed them that Aedyn needed to go to Sunrise Children’s Hospital in Las Vegas immediately. He arrived at 3am on April 9 and met with doctors already waiting for him. Aedyn was admitted and underwent tests including a bone marrow aspiration. On April 10 at 9pm the oncologist came in to inform them that Aedyn had acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and needed to start treatment immediately. The following day, Aedyn was sent to surgery to insert a Broviac catheter. He started chemotherapy that evening.
 
Aedyn’s mom was seven months pregnant with their second child at the time and Aedyn’s dad was rushing to the hospital, as he was working out of town. Aedyn left the hospital only a couple of days at a time for the next six months and his baby brother Tristin was born in June. In October his parents took Aedyn, a happy, healthy two-year-old, home to live his life as a normal child. Aedyn was a wonderful big brother, and he loved teaching his brother all about music and superheroes. He loved playing drums and superheroes and always seemed to his family like an “old soul.”
 
In October of 2008 Aedyn and his family moved from Arizona to Pennsylvania. Just one month later, Aedyn developed worrisome symptoms. His mom rushed him to Penn State Hershey where the cancer nightmare returned. Aedyn had relapsed and needed a bone marrow transplant. He was admitted to start chemo immediately and just days later good news came, that a 100% umbilical cord match was found. Aedyn underwent treatment to prepare him for the transplant from November until January, but just 17 days after his fourth birthday, on January 21, 2009, Aedyn was called to heaven due to a sudden allergic reaction to one of the medications he was taking to prepare him for transplant.
 
His mom writes, “My little boy was my world, my heart, and my hope. Not a day goes by that I don’t wonder what he would be like today, how would he be in school? Would he play basketball or soccer? I miss him more than anything in this world.”
 
His family is involved in Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation in order to help bring awareness to the need for better treatments for children with cancer. His mom emphasizes to, “never, ever give up hope.”
 
Quote: “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again!”
 
Information provided by Amber Stephens, Aedyn’s Mom
March 2014