By Jennie Trejo
When 15-year-old Jayden Simmons found out that he would design a T-shirt for the Dallas Stars, he had to make sure he covered his bases. Favorite emoji? Check. His initials? Check. Looks like a video game? Check. But most importantly, Jayden wanted to make sure that his hockey player had a prosthetic leg because he has osteosarcoma.
“I was playing basketball one day, and I started feeling pain in my leg. Something just didn’t feel right,” Jayden says. “So we tried multiple, multiple things, but it just was deteriorating. And so, on March 6, 2019, I got diagnosed with cancer. At the moment, it was the worst thing I could have heard. But it opened up a whole lot of doors, such as doors like this.”
Salood, an organization that provides financial assistance for families impacted by pediatric cancer, helped open the door that Jayden is referring to. Salood connected Jayden with the Dallas Stars to create a specially designed T-shirt and beanie in honor of their annual Hockey Fights Cancer night.
The event, which celebrated its 25th anniversary on Monday, Nov. 20, is a joint initiative between the National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players’ Association. It unites the hockey community to support cancer patients and their families and funds game-changing research dedicated to improving treatment options, finding cures, and saving lives.
Kenny Freeland, co-founder of Salood, explains their unique model and ability to create these connections.
“One of the really cool things that we do with Salood is we actually partner cancer warriors like Jayden with brands and organizations where they can collaborate on products together,” Kenny says. “Tonight, we will see the hat and the T-shirt Jayden designed for the Dallas Stars.”
Jayden and Kenny first met because Jayden was a patient at one of Salood’s partner hospitals. From there, Jayden became a Salood Ambassador. Once this opportunity came up for the Dallas Stars Hockey Fights Cancer Night, Kenny knew it was perfect for Jayden.
“Jayden got to come into the office and actually meet with the Dallas Stars graphic designers,” Kenny explains. “He gave his input, it was really all him, we just stuck back. He was the creative director representing Salood.”
When Jayden’s mom, Ashley Simmons, describes the partnership between Jayden and Salood, she says it could not have come at a better time.
“Jayden immediately connected with Kenny and Josh,” Ashley says. “They knew he was really into sports. So they were like, ‘We have an opportunity that we’d love for Jaden to be a part of,’ and he was so excited. And it came at a time when we were getting really bad news. So it was something for him to look forward to and to encourage him to keep fighting.”
Jayden was first diagnosed with osteoporosis when he was in the fifth grade at just ten years old.
“A cancer diagnosis brought about sweeping changes for our family. Jayden’s schooling shifted to homebound education, and as a single parent, my role transformed into that of a full-time caregiver, rendering my work life unrecognizable,” Ashley says. “Even our public outings took on a new dimension, especially in the pre-COVID era when people didn’t fully grasp the importance of minimizing germ exposure.”
Ashley explains that amid this whirlwind, one of the most significant changes came three months post-diagnosis when Jayden’s right leg, the tumor’s location, was amputated.
“This was deemed the best path toward healing and a future in sports, which has always been his passion. The adjustment to life as an amputee was substantial, yet Jayden faced it with remarkable determination and grace. Despite the challenges, his unwavering love for life shines through.”
Regardless of the challenges that Jayden has faced in his life, nothing could have prepared him for the surprises that he would get at American Airlines Stadium.
“We do a lot of things behind the scenes, but days like today show you why we do what we do,” Kenny says. “Getting to see him here, being the star, and having all the players come up to him. It’s super exciting.”
The Stars and Salood teams truly pulled at all the stops to make the night special. Before the game, Jayden met every player as they made their way to the locker room. A little starstruck– understandably– Jayden shook their hands and smiled. Who was he most excited to meet? “Jamie Benn.”
The players also affirmed that they loved Jayden’s T-shirt design. Right winger Tyler Seguin told Jayden the shirts were “swaggy,” and left winger Jamie Benn said that Jayden has a future in graphic design.
“These shirts are awesome, dude. The guys literally talked about them all morning,” centre Matt Duchene said. “We love them. Guys don’t usually wear our team stuff outside of the rink, but guys will wear those. They’re sick.”
The surprises did not end there. After greeting the players, Jayden returned to the main entrance at American Airlines Center, where all of the screens lit up in his honor for 15 minutes. Then, Jayden was taken to the locker room to read the Stars’ starting lineup to the players.
Even Jayden’s mom was looped into the fun. About ten minutes into the first period, she was surprised with a diamond necklace donated by Mariloff Diamonds & Fine Jewelry.
The Stars won the game vs. the New York Rangers. The final score was 6-3, and Jayden got to put the cherry on top of his Hockey Fights Cancer night with autographs from the players after the game.
“I want to thank the Stars for bringing awareness. It’s a really big deal because children do get cancer, too. And it’s not it’s not the same as an adult getting cancer,” Ashley says. “And then Salood is an amazing organization that financially supports families that are going through childhood cancer. But also, this is leaving a mark for him here forever for people to see and wear [the T-shirt] all the time. It’s really cool.”
Jayden’s battle is not over yet. Ashley says that after eight beautiful months of being cancer-free, he has faced heartbreaking relapses, one after the other. She explains that despite the countless surgeries and endless treatments, year after year of battling this relentless disease, Jayden continues to smile and embrace life to the fullest.
“He is an inspiration to many, demonstrating that losing a leg didn’t slow him down or deter him from new adventures. Today, four and a half years later, we are still in the trenches, but our faith, hope, and love remain steadfast. In the end, these are the pillars on which we build our fight against this formidable adversary.”
What does Jayden have to say?
“Never, never give up. Keep on fighting,” Jayden says. “Because I’ve been doing this, on and off, four different times over five years. So if I can get through something like this, you can get through, like, anything.”
You can purchase a T-shirt or a beanie from Jayden’s Hockey Fights Cancer collection here. If you want to learn more about Salood and how to get involved, you can check out their website here.
