Kaiden Thorpe
More About Kaiden
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Kaiden is 8 years old and was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a rare and aggressive form of pediatric brain cancer, in August of 2024.Ā Through the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation, we adopted Kaiden to become part of our PRG family.Ā On that day we introduced him and his family to our drivers and team!Ā It was a day all about Kaidenās favorite thingsā¦racing and cheese pizza!Ā One of Kaiden’s first duties as a crew member for the 2025 season was to design the #28 paint scheme and cheer it on at the CARS Tour season finale at North Wilkesboro Speedway!Ā We are so proud to have Kaiden as part of our PRG family and the strength he brings to it!
About Kaiden
AlwaysĀ a kid that was on the move and loved sports, Kaiden startedĀ to experience fatigue, nausea and headaches regularly the summer after kindergarten.Ā At the beginning of first grade, sickness set in on Kaiden where doctors felt a CT scan was needed.Ā The results came back and Kaiden was sent to the hospital and within a week was in surgery for a life-saving brain surgery to remove a tumor pressing against his brain stem.Ā Soon after the surgery, a diagnosis of medulloblastoma was determined along with the diagnosis of severe hydrocephalus, which meant another urgent procedure to relieve the pressure on his brain.Ā TheĀ 2025 year wasĀ filled with surgeries, long hospital stays, radiation, chemotherapy, and side effects no child should ever have to face. Yet through it all, Kaiden is still the same kid at his core. He still smiles, still finds ways to laugh, and still lights up whenever he talks about sports or cars. Kaiden ended chemotherapy in May of 2025 and remained with no evidence of disease until December 31, 2025 when spots were seen and relapse occurred.Ā He is now the first in the nation to be part of a new Digoxin trial for relapsed medulloblastoma.Ā Kaiden hasnāt lost himself in this fight; if anything, heās revealed even more of who he truly is: resilient, joyful, boldly honest, and full of unshakable perseverance.
About the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation
The Friends of Jaclyn Foundation’s mission is to improve the quality of life forĀ children battlingĀ pediatric brain tumors and other childhood cancers and to raise awareness through their Adopt-A-Child, Safe on the Sidelines and Guardian Angel Programs.Ā We do this by pairing the afflicted child and their siblings with localĀ high school and college sports teams, campus clubs, and arts programs in their community.Ā If your team or club is ready to start making a difference in a child’s life or to learn more about the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation, visitĀ friendsofjaclyn.org.
