How this 12-year-old boy from Georgetown is helping lead the fight against cancer
When Jaron Rodriguez was 23 months old, his mom Jessica Rodriguez noticed something didn't look right around his right eye. There was a large bump. The Georgetown family was sent to Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas for blood work and scans.
Ninety percent of his blood had cancer in it. He was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia.
"We had to start treatment right away," Jessica Rodriguez said. "It was super overwhelming."
That was 2012.
Today, Jaron is a healthy 12-year-old, who plays tight end and outside linebacker for his middle school football team and power forward for the basketball team. He's also a Boy Scout.
He has been chosen as one of five national ambassadors for St. Baldrick's Foundation, which raises money for childhood cancer research. The foundation is known for its head-shaving events.
Jaron will be traveling to different events to represent the foundation, but, of course, his mom says "school and STAR exams has to come first."
He might even shave his head.
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St. Baldrick's Foundation found Jaron because he has a YouTube channel, Jaron's Toys, that started when he was going through treatments and needed something to do. His parents got him an iPad. Soon, Jaron was filming toy reviews and unboxing videos and then posting them. He now has 29,000 followers.
Jessica Rodriguez said the toy reviews started as Jaron expressing that he had so many toys and he wanted to share them. Of course, as a child going through chemotherapy, he had to be isolated from other kids because of his suppressed immune system. YouTube became the way for him to connect with other kids.
"We just thought it was going to be his family and friends," Jessica Rodriguez said. "It kind of picked up when a couple of videos went viral."
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Jaron went through 3½ years of aggressive chemotherapy. Doctors would insert the chemo into his spine every month.
Jaron says, "I don't remember that much." He remembers a cold operating room to get his port placed for chemotherapy, and he remembers a lot of shots and IVs.
He also remembers starting kindergarten while still going through chemotherapy. A stuffed monkey would sit in his chair when he had to miss school, so he would still feel like part of the class.
He does remember going to some St. Baldrick's Foundation events while being in treatment. "It was really fun," he said.
Now as an ambassador, Jaron said: "I'm super excited to be part of this. The research is hope. Every child deserves to live a long and healthy life."
"Because of research is why he's here today," Jessica Rodriguez said. "It's an important cause."
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Jaron now has reached the 10-year mark since his diagnosis. He receives annual exams to verify that the cancer has not returned. Every five years, he will have a heart scan to make sure that the chemotherapy did not damage it.
His advice to kids with cancer: "Don't be scared. It will fly by. All this research and donations are going to cure you, and you will live a long and healthy life."
His mom says, "You have to just believe and be positive everything will turn out OK. If you're not strong, there are little eyes watching you."
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Upcoming St. Baldrick's Foundation event
Shave for the Brave, UT Smile 2023
4:30 to 7:00 p.m. March 24
Gregory Gym Plaza, 2101 Speedway, on the University of Texas campus
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: How an Austin-area boy is helping lead the fight against cancer
