1 00:00:04,160 --> 00:00:09,000 Speaker 1: Hello, friends, Welcome to Story Behind podcast. This is the 2 00:00:09,039 --> 00:00:12,200 Speaker 1: show for people who love hearing a good story and 3 00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:15,720 Speaker 1: who believe the world could use more positivity. We're the 4 00:00:15,720 --> 00:00:18,919 Speaker 1: team behind God Updates and God Too, and we hope 5 00:00:18,960 --> 00:00:22,239 Speaker 1: these weekly short stories will brighten your day. 6 00:00:26,880 --> 00:00:29,720 Speaker 2: Facing a rare cancer diagnosis, this teen found joy in 7 00:00:29,880 --> 00:00:34,360 Speaker 2: hospital prom Written Behath the Rugaman, Red Budgy Provost. Facing 8 00:00:34,360 --> 00:00:36,800 Speaker 2: a rare cancer diagnosis, this teen found joy in a 9 00:00:36,840 --> 00:00:40,280 Speaker 2: hospital room. These days, prom isn't always about chasing popularity, 10 00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:43,879 Speaker 2: stressing over who asked, who were wondering if you'll said 11 00:00:43,880 --> 00:00:46,880 Speaker 2: at the right table. More often, it's about laughter with friends, 12 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:49,559 Speaker 2: one magical night and celebrating a sweet rite of passage 13 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:52,040 Speaker 2: in the middle of growing up. It's about dancing badly, 14 00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:54,520 Speaker 2: taking too many photos, and feeling young and alive. For 15 00:00:54,560 --> 00:00:58,200 Speaker 2: seventeen year old Caitlin Hutchins, prom became something even deeper. 16 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:01,200 Speaker 2: It became a night of courage, love, memories wrapped in pink, 17 00:01:01,240 --> 00:01:04,920 Speaker 2: tool and hope. Caitlyn, a resident of Fardale, Kentucky, has 18 00:01:04,920 --> 00:01:07,120 Speaker 2: spent the last two years battling a rare and aggressive 19 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:10,560 Speaker 2: bone cancer. When first seemed like a sports injury, turned 20 00:01:10,560 --> 00:01:13,000 Speaker 2: into a fight no teenaer should ever have to face. 21 00:01:13,760 --> 00:01:16,600 Speaker 2: She has relapsed six times and doctors have said she 22 00:01:16,640 --> 00:01:19,000 Speaker 2: may only have days or weeks left. But love has 23 00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:21,840 Speaker 2: a way of showing up in a hospital hallways. The 24 00:01:21,920 --> 00:01:24,440 Speaker 2: nurses and the staff at Norton Children's Hospital refuse to 25 00:01:24,520 --> 00:01:27,520 Speaker 2: let Caitlyn miss the memories every teenage girls deserves. They 26 00:01:27,600 --> 00:01:30,040 Speaker 2: organized a prom night just for her. They helped her 27 00:01:30,040 --> 00:01:34,000 Speaker 2: get ready and a puffy pink ground, placed a sparkling 28 00:01:34,040 --> 00:01:36,639 Speaker 2: Tierra on her head, and watched as she became radiant 29 00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:39,640 Speaker 2: amid the hardest battle of her life. Then came the 30 00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:42,520 Speaker 2: moment no one will forget. Surrounded by family, friends, and 31 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:45,399 Speaker 2: caregivers who had become family, Caitlyn's boyfriend got down on 32 00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:47,400 Speaker 2: one knee and asked for her hand in marriage. She 33 00:01:47,440 --> 00:01:50,880 Speaker 2: said yes. Her mother, Kimberly Hutchins, shared the tenderness of 34 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:53,520 Speaker 2: their bond. When he's in the room, she feels better, 35 00:01:53,560 --> 00:01:55,920 Speaker 2: and it's like medicine to her. That's the kind of 36 00:01:55,960 --> 00:01:59,040 Speaker 2: love no diagnosis can touch. Kimberly also shared her daughter's 37 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:02,040 Speaker 2: fierce determination, and she said, she is telling me it's 38 00:02:02,120 --> 00:02:05,440 Speaker 2: not my time. Sometimes faith sounds like that, Sometimes courage 39 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:08,440 Speaker 2: sounds like that too. Caitlin may be facing the unimageable, 40 00:02:08,480 --> 00:02:10,880 Speaker 2: but she is not facing it alone. Her nurses are 41 00:02:10,880 --> 00:02:13,960 Speaker 2: helping her sparkle, her family is helping her hope, her 42 00:02:13,960 --> 00:02:16,880 Speaker 2: friends are helping her laugh, and together they are gathering 43 00:02:16,919 --> 00:02:20,200 Speaker 2: memories like wildflowers, beautiful, fragile and meant to be treasured forever. 44 00:02:20,880 --> 00:02:22,680 Speaker 2: No one knows how many days any of us get, 45 00:02:22,720 --> 00:02:25,359 Speaker 2: but Caitlin is reminding the world that even in hospital rooms, 46 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:28,160 Speaker 2: joy can still dance, even in sorrow, love can kneel 47 00:02:28,200 --> 00:02:31,040 Speaker 2: down and ask forever. Even in the face of uncertainty, 48 00:02:31,120 --> 00:02:33,640 Speaker 2: a young girl can choose to keep fighting. And sometimes 49 00:02:33,639 --> 00:02:36,080 Speaker 2: the most beautiful prom happens when courage wears the crown 50 00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:38,280 Speaker 2: until she says, I'm ready. We're going to keep fighting, 51 00:02:38,360 --> 00:02:41,519 Speaker 2: kimberly said, for I know the thoughts that I think 52 00:02:41,639 --> 00:02:44,280 Speaker 2: toward you, said the Lord, thoughts of peace and not 53 00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:47,960 Speaker 2: of evil, to give you an expected end. Jeremiah twenty 54 00:02:48,040 --> 00:03:05,600 Speaker 2: nine eleven. A football player met up boy selling lamonade alone. 55 00:03:05,639 --> 00:03:09,080 Speaker 2: His act of kindness sparked hope. Written by Mikhaela Gorgoni 56 00:03:09,160 --> 00:03:12,560 Speaker 2: read by Julie Provost. Football player's kindness went a long 57 00:03:12,600 --> 00:03:14,800 Speaker 2: way when he stopped by a little boy's lemonade stand 58 00:03:14,800 --> 00:03:17,280 Speaker 2: in South Dakota. Was a warm day in twenty twenty 59 00:03:17,280 --> 00:03:19,799 Speaker 2: three when the South Dakota State Jack Roberts player saw 60 00:03:19,919 --> 00:03:22,200 Speaker 2: nine year old Camden on the side of the road 61 00:03:22,200 --> 00:03:26,120 Speaker 2: with no customers. Aidian daughterman went on to practice, but 62 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:28,400 Speaker 2: returned with twenty dollars to the boy and was rewarded 63 00:03:28,400 --> 00:03:31,040 Speaker 2: with more than just a cup of lemonade. Camden was 64 00:03:31,080 --> 00:03:32,880 Speaker 2: over the moon that a stranger would be that kind. 65 00:03:33,040 --> 00:03:35,760 Speaker 2: He was smiling so big, excited to see someone come 66 00:03:36,280 --> 00:03:38,760 Speaker 2: up to his stand, and then even more excited once 67 00:03:38,760 --> 00:03:41,240 Speaker 2: he found out I played for the Jacks. Aidan recalled 68 00:03:41,680 --> 00:03:43,680 Speaker 2: that was the start of a beautiful friendship with Camden 69 00:03:43,720 --> 00:03:46,880 Speaker 2: and his family. That year, that family invited Aiden over 70 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:49,080 Speaker 2: for Christmas and gave him a three D printed lego 71 00:03:49,160 --> 00:03:51,360 Speaker 2: version of himself and a custom flag for his mom. 72 00:03:51,800 --> 00:03:55,480 Speaker 2: Then Aiden coached the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Flagg football team, 73 00:03:55,520 --> 00:03:59,760 Speaker 2: which Camden attended. Then Aidan coached the Fellowship of Christian Athletes' 74 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:04,560 Speaker 2: football team, which Camden attended. Camden's family would often show 75 00:04:04,600 --> 00:04:07,360 Speaker 2: up in his games and wait for photos and autographs. 76 00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:09,480 Speaker 2: It had gotten greater and greater as time went on, 77 00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:12,280 Speaker 2: Aiden said, we just became closer and closer, and he's 78 00:04:12,320 --> 00:04:14,480 Speaker 2: one of those kids that I'll look at as a 79 00:04:14,520 --> 00:04:17,320 Speaker 2: little brother and take care of the rest of my life. Aiden, 80 00:04:17,360 --> 00:04:20,679 Speaker 2: who is this year's NFL draft, came home while preparing 81 00:04:20,720 --> 00:04:23,839 Speaker 2: for his NFL Pro Day and decided to surprise Camden 82 00:04:23,839 --> 00:04:27,480 Speaker 2: in school. When he released the filmed moment on social media, 83 00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:30,239 Speaker 2: it got over four hundred thousand views. I was very excited. 84 00:04:30,240 --> 00:04:32,960 Speaker 2: I knew he'd be surprised and excited, Aiden said, but 85 00:04:32,960 --> 00:04:35,440 Speaker 2: once I saw him hug me and cry, it hit 86 00:04:35,480 --> 00:04:37,360 Speaker 2: me a little harder than I figured it would. I 87 00:04:37,440 --> 00:04:39,000 Speaker 2: knew I meant a lot to him, but I didn't 88 00:04:39,040 --> 00:04:41,160 Speaker 2: know as that much. He said. That was a very 89 00:04:41,200 --> 00:04:43,679 Speaker 2: special moment that I think he and I will never forget. 90 00:04:44,279 --> 00:04:46,560 Speaker 2: He's more proud of his impact on the youth and 91 00:04:46,600 --> 00:04:49,880 Speaker 2: the community than he is of his football accomplishments. Camden 92 00:04:49,960 --> 00:04:53,479 Speaker 2: and his family feel that firsthand. It's wonderful when young 93 00:04:53,520 --> 00:04:56,160 Speaker 2: man like this set an example for their community. The 94 00:04:56,279 --> 00:04:58,400 Speaker 2: inspiring courage boys, and that goes up long. 95 00:05:05,320 --> 00:05:08,480 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for listening to Story Behind podcast. 96 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:11,240 Speaker 1: We're really glad you joined us for this week's story 97 00:05:12,040 --> 00:05:14,520 Speaker 1: to see photos and videos that may have been referenced 98 00:05:14,520 --> 00:05:17,360 Speaker 1: in this episode, check out the links and the show notes, 99 00:05:17,880 --> 00:05:20,839 Speaker 1: and if you enjoyed what you heard today, subscribe to 100 00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:24,440 Speaker 1: our podcast and please tell a friend about us. We'd 101 00:05:24,440 --> 00:05:26,480 Speaker 1: also love it if you'd rate us and leave us 102 00:05:26,480 --> 00:05:29,440 Speaker 1: a review. It really does help more people find us. 103 00:05:30,040 --> 00:05:32,719 Speaker 1: Story Behind is a Salem Web Network production.