Community raises money for GFH senior
Caiden Back, a graduating senior from Great Falls High School had to be life-flighted a month before graduation, but he didn't let that stop him from walking the stage.
Back was born three months prematurely and was diagnosed with hydrocephalus. This build-up of fluid in the brain can cause damage and if left untreated can be fatal.
Following the hydrocephalus, Back had a brain bleed. Doctors then placed a shunt that unfortunately caused an infection called a pseudocyst.
Around the end of April, Back was sent to Seattle for another medical procedure to route the shunt through his chest cavity and lungs. He and his father, Mike Whiteford flew to Seattle Children’s Hospital for the surgery, while his mom and grandma drove 10 hours to the hospital.
Back’s mother, Jennifer Whiteford, took to Facebook to post updates about her son's health journey, which is how some teachers found out, as well as the local SkillsUSA chapter. The students were able to bring it to the principal’s attention.
Students and community members really banded together to help Back and his family.
“I just realized that like wow, people that I maybe talked to a couple times...they sent us money. Or they did something for us...some of my parents' friends they made like those boards for like sports games, and they made it for the first game of the playoffs, and that thing sold out in like a day,” he said.
Kindred Plumbing held a gun raffle that raised quite a bit of money for Back. “I honestly want to thank Kindred Plumbing, I wasn’t expecting them to do a big gun raffle like that,” he said.
Back explained his plans for after graduation.
“I’m going to do the plumbing for the main thing, and then like I'm kind of mechanically inclined and I can do that kind of stuff. So I'd like do that stuff on the side. Go be a plumber for a couple years, see where that goes. I'm starting so young, a couple years down the road if I'm tired of it, I'll still be able enough to go do something else,” he said.
Besides plumbing, he also shares a love for automotive work that was nurtured under the direction of Landon Stubbs, Zane and Ken VanLieshout during Back's time at Great Falls High School.
"All three of the shop teachers are Great Falls High were impactful," Back said. "So there's two Mr. V's because the auto shop teacher and welding teacher are related. They're father and son. And then Mr. Stubbs, who's our woodshop teacher. They all kind of were checking on me and when I came back, they all helped me out and just really helped me the last four years. Even if it wasn't medical, they kind of helped me out everywhere they could."
Later this month, Back and other students in SkillsUSA will be traveling to Atlanta, Georgia on June 20 for the National Skills Conference.
He is doing well and will follow up with his doctor here in Great Falls and telemedicine visit with his doctor in Seattle.
This article originally appeared on Great Falls Tribune: Community rallies around GFHS senior Caiden Back after health scare
