Charity softball tournament planned for child with cancer

Brayden Deckerd loves being outdoors, running around and riding his toy tractor. He likes watching "Curious George" with his older sister, Kaelyn, 3. He likes to play ball with his dad. His brown stuffed dog tags along with him everywhere. Brayden is 17 months old, and he has sarcoma cancer.

The Batting for Brayden softball tournament will be held Saturday in Perryville, Mo., to raise money. His uncles, Steve and Bleau Deckerd, host charity softball tournaments in the summers. This year, it's being held for Brayden, with all proceeds going toward his treatment and the costs of driving him to his sessions.

Brayden was born Feb. 10, 2012. His mom, Kelsey Schaper, found the hard knot on his right thigh on April 24 this year, right before he was ready to be put to bed. She called her parents. She automatically knew something had to be wrong, because he hadn't fallen and he wasn't bruised.

Brayden's dad, Dustin Deckerd, and his mom took him straight to a pediatrician in Cape Girardeau. From there, Brayden was sent to St. Louis Children's Hospital, where he had a biopsy done on his leg. His parents were told on May 3 that Brayden had rhabdomyosarcoma, a cancer that develops in muscles and is most common in children. Brayden's treatments started the next Monday.

"When we found out, we were both devastated," Schaper said. "Our parents, everybody is very supportive, but it's hard to deal with. It's sinking in that he does have cancer. He's going to have it a long time."

Seventeen-month-old Brayden Deckerd holds his stuffed brown dog as he sits on the lap of his mother, Kelsey Schaper, and next to his sister Kaelyn, 3. (Laura Simon)

Brayden is nearing the end of his first 12 weeks of chemotherapy. Doctors will run an evaluation on the area of his leg near the end of July, doing another CT scan and MRI of his body to see whether the knot has shrunk or progressed. Depending upon how well the chemo is working, doctors will then decide whether to go ahead and remove the tumor. If it is removed, Brayden would have radiation therapy on the area for up to three weeks after, on top of about 30 more weeks of chemo. It could be longer, depending on how his body reacts to the treatment.

His parents drive him to St. Louis every Tuesday for Vinchristine treatments, a type of chemotherapy. Every third Tuesday, he gets four types of chemo and the family stays overnight in the city. Those are the times when he usually gets sick, when he doesn't want to eat and wants Schaper to hold him a lot. The couple watches what he eats, makes sure he's hydrated and not feverish. Schaper said Brayden still runs around and plays. He has good and bad days.

"He still has a long battle to help him get over it," Schaper said. "It was really hard, but I just had to learn to deal with it and realize that he does have cancer and that I have to be strong for him to help him get through this. He can't see my weakness. He's so young. He's a baby still."

The driving takes its toll. Commuting to St. Louis every Tuesday is about 230 miles round-trip. The cost starts to add up. Both parents work. Deckerd works full-time and Schaper is on family medical leave, working days when Brayden is doing well.

The family has been supportive, Schaper said, with driving them to doctor's appointments, picking up prescriptions and watching Kaelyn and Brayden when necessary.

Seventeen-month-old Brayden Deckerd carries his stuffed brown dog with him, Wednesday morning in Old Appleton, Mo. (Laura Simon)

Betty Deckerd is Brayden's great-grandmother. She said he's a lovable little boy and very active.

"Everybody, we have these little phrases, 'Pray for Brayden,'" she said. "We're just doing a lot of praying and trusting God for it. We're trying to be there with them as much as we can."

Schaper said she and Deckerd were grateful when they found out about the softball tournament.

"I was excited, and we were both very happy that they were willing to help us out, support us in any way possible," Schaper said.

Steve Deckerd said previous benefit tournaments were held for churches and children with illnesses, but this one just happened to be a family thing. The number of teams have ranged anywhere from eight to 12 in the past. So far, Steve said there are five teams signed up with a possible sixth.

"We'll play with what we've got," he said.

The entry fee is $125 with a three-game guarantee. It's held on the men's and women's softball fields in Perryville. The winning team gets T-shirts and a trophy. Only ASA bats are allowed and teams should bring their own 44-ounce ball. To register, call Steve Deckerd at 573-517-8758 or Bleau Deckerd at 573-768-9141.

Brayden also has a bank account at the Bank of Missouri if people would like to donate. The name of the account is Friends of Brayden Deckerd.

botto@semissourian.com

Pertinent address:

Perryville, Mo.