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Jeffrey Thomas Hayden
10/17/91 - 9/8/04
"We miss you, but we will
never forget you"
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Jeffrey's Song (5.4 MB)
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Jeffrey Thomas Hayden Foundation
www.jthf.org
Latest News - 9/7/2009
Five Years
Five years ago today Cindy and I lost our son Jeffrey to cancer. Joe lost his brother and best friend, but the world lost a great kid. Not a day goes by that we don’t think about him and wonder what life would be like if he were still with us. Sometimes these thoughts bring a smile and sometimes they bring tears, it’s hard to say which because these emotions are not predictable.
Five years is a long time. Five years is an eternity. Five years dealing with the pain and anger of a broken family can wear you down. Five years without our Jeff is tough to take. Five years of asking “why Jeff” and “why us” takes a toll on your mind. Five years of wondering if we could have done something different drains your energy. It is truly been Five years of hell….
Then I reflect on the good things that have happened over the past five years I realize the number of lives that Jeff has touched and that smile comes across my face. His spirit lives on in each of us and his zest for life brightens the darkest days. We are truly appreciative of the support we receive from friends and family, without which we would be lost.
Normally we mark the anniversary of his passing with a balloon launch by his tree at Freedom Elementary. We intend to do that but we haven’t set a date yet. It seems our busy schedules have a way of altering the best of intentions. Stay tuned, we will send out a notice shortly.
There is a message that I would like to say to the Class of 2010…. You are special and destined for great things. You will have opportunities that your parents never had and you will face challenges that will require all the strength and courage you can muster to overcome. The future is yours and you can change the world by getting involved and caring about what happens around you.
Even though Jeffrey started this journey with you, you must finish it without him. All I ask is that you honor him by doing good deeds and keeping his memory alive inside of you. Don’t waste the chance that Jeffery and others will never get.
Remember… Life is precious. Life is a gift. Enjoy every waking moment and cherish every memory because you never know when it will be taken away.
Our work with the Foundation continues and we hope that someday our efforts will eliminate this deadly disease from the planet. Check out the website for more details at www.jthf.org
As always… I’m constantly reminded that Jeff was not alone in his battle. Please pray for all the other brave young warriors and their families as they wage war with the beast. May God be with them on this agonizing journey.
Rest in Peace Jeffrey. We love you and we miss you, but we will never forget you. :)
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