11-year-old given submarine honors while fighting cancer

Reporter: Amanda Hall Writer: Rachel Murphy
Published: Updated:
Jayden Torres in the hospital (CREDIT: WINK News)

With some military muscle and a lot of charisma, an 11-year-old is battling a rare cancer.

Retired Navy veterans who served the U.S. on nuclear submarines showed their solidarity with kids fighting their own battles.

On Monday, they visited 11-year-old Jayden Torres, presenting him with a certificate making him an honorary submariner, a hat and a challenge coin.

Jayden is fighting fibrolamellar carcinoma. According to the National Institute of Health, the disease makes up an estimated 1% of all liver cancers.

“They touched my belly, and they were like, ‘We feel a giant mass in his stomach. Go to the hospital next door, and we’re gonna have you get some blood work and a CT scan,'” said Jayden, referring to Golisano Children’s Hospital.

Surgery to remove Jayden’s tumor took place over the summer. He will receive immunotherapy, similar to chemo, at Golisano Children’s Hospital for the next two years.

“When I noticed my hair was falling out. I was like, ‘This has always been my dream, Mom, let’s dye my hair!'” said Jayden.

Jayden is staying strong. If the infusions he recently started do well, he may return to school part-time for the first time in over a year.

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