Cayden Strong - Cayden’s Cancer Journey

15/03/2026

💔

Some souls experience the world differently, but they love deeper than most. Cayden was one of those souls.

The world may have called him nonverbal, but Cayden spoke through his joy, his curiosity, and the love he gave to everyone around him.

Cayden saw the world in a way the rest of us are still trying to understand. Because of him, we now see it a little more clearly.

🕊️ 🦇 Erin Matteucci jJenna NewmanHeroes helping those with special needsCandace Marie Patchin

15/03/2026

💙⚽️🎗️💙Tonight we went to the Cleveland Crunch game, and during halftime they did something incredibly special. They brought my husband, my daughter Harlow, and I out onto the field and held a moment of silence for Cayden.

Standing there and watching an entire arena pause to honor my son was something I will never forget. It was such a beautiful and emotional moment, and I couldn’t help but cry.

Thank you to an owner of the Cleveland Crunch, and all involved, for showing our family such kindness and for taking the time to remember Cayden. It truly meant more than I can express

Cayden may not have used words, but tonight an entire arena spoke for him. 💙⚽️🎗️💙

11/03/2026

For those who were unable to attend Cayden’s beautiful service, I am able to share the video.

I am forever grateful for the incredible friends I have in my life who organized every single detail to make sure the service truly reflected Cayden. Every piece of it meant so much to our family.

This video is long, and honestly it isn’t even half of what Cayden’s life could have filled. He touched so many people and brought so much love into this world.

When friends turn into family, it is something truly special. We will never forget the love and support that surrounded us as we honored our boy.

Thank you all for loving Cayden.

💙

Watch the video for Cayden Dudas-Richardson

11/03/2026

I know ive sent an update already but ive felt the need to do so again.

With a shattered heart, I’m sharing the update no parent should ever have to write.

Our sweet Cayden passed away on March 3, 2026 after a courageous fight against a rare and aggressive cancer. He was only 14 years old.

Cayden lived with severe autism and was nonverbal, but anyone who knew him knows he never needed words to be heard. His bright blue eyes, his spirit, and his strength spoke louder than anything ever could.

He fought so hard.

A mother should never have to bury her child, and the pain of losing him is something I cannot even begin to put into words. Our hearts are completely broken. But in the middle of that heartbreak, I am grateful that Cayden is no longer in pain and no longer suffering.

On March 8, we laid our beautiful boy to rest surrounded by so much love. Seeing our family, friends, and community come together to honor Cayden meant more than we will ever be able to express. The support that has been shown to our family has carried us through the darkest days of our lives.

To everyone who prayed for Cayden, donated, shared his story, put signs in their yards, sent messages, or simply kept him in their hearts — thank you. You made sure Cayden knew he was loved by an entire community.

Our world will never be the same without him. But Cayden’s strength, his light, and the love he gave will live on in all of us forever.

Thank you for loving our boy.

💙 Cayden’s Mom

To my sweet girl Harlow,

I know your heart hurts right now because your big brother Cayden isn’t here with us anymore. Cayden wasn’t just your brother - he was your best friend. You loved him in such a special way, and he loved you too.

You were one of the people who understood him the most. Even when Cayden didn’t use words, you still knew how to make him smile, laugh, and feel safe. That kind of love is very special.

It’s okay to feel sad, confused, or even mad sometimes. Losing someone we love so much is very hard, and all of those feelings are okay. Mommy feels them too.

Even though Cayden can’t be here with us the way we wish he could, he will always be part of our family. We will always talk about him, remember him, and love him forever.

You will always be Cayden’s little sister, and he will always be your big brother.

Whenever you miss him, you can talk about him, look at pictures, hug and kiss your cayden bear, or tell Mommy stories about him. We will keep his memory alive together.

I am so proud of you and how big your heart is. I will always be here to hold you, listen to you, and love you.

Forever and always,

Mommy 💛💙💜😭

Love. Needs. No. Words.
Caydens Warriors 💛🧩🎗️
11:17

08/03/2026

I’m not ready to say goodbye to my sweet boy tomorrow.

Nothing could ever prepare a mother for this moment. A mother should never have to bury her child. Cayden changed my life in ways words will never be able to fully explain. With his bright blue eyes, his quiet strength, and the way he experienced the world so uniquely, he taught me patience, resilience, and a kind of love that runs deeper than words.

Cayden faced so much in his life with autism and cancer, yet he continued to fight with a strength that amazed everyone around him. Being his mom will always be the greatest honor of my life.

Tomorrow we lay him to rest, and I don’t think I will ever truly be ready for that. But I will carry him with me every single day for the rest of my life.

If you knew Cayden or have followed his journey, please keep our family in your thoughts tomorrow as we face the hardest day of our lives.

Forever my boy. Forever my heart. I love you always, Cayden Parker. 💙

“Through so much pain, he continued to show strength that most people will never understand,” she said. “He was truly the bravest and strongest soul.”

05/03/2026

We will be placing 1 more order on Monday, if you would like a shirt or hoodie, please read the post!

Please read this whole post for information about ordering!

💥FAQ💥

📲 What if I text and do not get a response?
Please be patient, I work and have a son who is severely autistic, I will respond when I can!

💻 If I post in the comments does that mean I ordered?
NO! You must text Jenna in order to make your order count, posting in comments will Not guarantee I will track your order.

👕 Are youth sizes available?
Yes! Same price as the adult sizes

📦 Will you ship?
Yes! Please add $10 for shipping and handling to your order, once items come in I can ship out to you!

🛣️ Where do I pick up my shirt?
If you want it before the event, I will contact you when they come in for pick up in Mentor. OR you can grab it at the event.

💸 What payments are accepted?
Venmo, PayPal, Check or Cash

🎗️Where do proceeds from sales go?
ALL proceeds go to Cayden’s Family

💥💥When you place your order please include the following information: Text Jenna at 440-221-3805 (Do not call, text only)

1. Full Name (first/last name)
2. Email (if you have one)
3. Sizes of shirts/hoodies and how many per size
4. How you plan in paying

Lets show Cayden how much he is loved!

We Love You Caydentdateeas

04/03/2026

https://behmfuneral.com/obits/cayden-dudas-richardson/

Cayden Dudas-Richardson, age 14, of Madison, Ohio passed away peacefully at his home surrounded by his loving family on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. Cayden was born on November 17, 2011 in Chardon. Cayden was a special son, brother, grandson, great-grandson, nephew, cousin and friend to all who were bles...

04/03/2026

Last night our sweet boy Cayden passed away peacefully at home.

Our hearts are completely broken, but we are also so grateful that we were chosen to be his parents. Cayden changed our lives and the lives of so many people who came to know and love him.

Cayden had severe autism and was nonverbal, but anyone who knew him knows he never needed words to tell his story. His bright blue eyes, his silly spirit, his love for vacuuming, music, kraft mayo jars, peanut butter jars, and zooming in on everyone’s faces brought so much joy and laughter to our lives.

Cayden fought an incredibly hard battle with a high grade aggressive cancer. Through so much pain, he continued to show strength that most people will never understand. He was truly the bravest and strongest soul.

There are moments that feel deeply meaningful to us. Cayden was baptized at 11:17am, and he left this world at 11:17pm. Cayden was also born on November 17, 2011. Those numbers will forever hold a sacred place in our hearts.

While our hearts are shattered, we are thankful that his suffering has ended and that he is finally at peace.

Thank you to everyone who has loved Cayden, prayed for him, supported our family, and walked alongside us during this unimaginable journey. Your kindness has carried us through the darkest days.

Funeral and visitation details will be shared soon once arrangements are finalized.

We kindly ask that you please be respectful of our family during this time and allow us the space to breathe as we begin to navigate this unimaginable loss.

Cayden will always be our beautiful boy, our fighter, and our greatest teacher.

Love needs no words.
F**k you Cancer.
I love you forever, Cayden Parker💙

02/03/2026

When we came home from a short hotel stay in Pennsylvania, we were completely overwhelmed in the best way.

Driving into our neighborhood and seeing yard after yard filled with signs for Cayden that read, “Love needs no words. We love you Cayden,” alongside the Autism Awareness and Childhood Cancer Awareness ribbons, stopped me in my tracks. Almost every single house. I truly could not believe it.

We moved to Madison at the end of 2022 and, to be honest, we haven’t had much opportunity to really get to know many of our neighbors. What you all did for our family changed that in an instant. It was thoughtful, intentional, and so deeply kind.

It brought tears to my eyes and filled my heart in a way I can’t fully put into words. Thank you for loving our boy so loudly and so beautifully. Thank you for making him feel supported, seen, and the exact opposite of alone.

Much love to this incredible community. 💛

Video cred to my wonderful niece Hannah Coleman who I asked to speed it up because it would have been so very long. So yes, we were driving slow, under the speed limit during the recording.

01/03/2026

On Saturday, an incredibly generous person blessed our family with the most beautiful waterfront hotel stay. They covered everything — a gorgeous room, a dinner voucher, and access to a beautiful pool and hot tub. It was such a gift.

My buddy soaked up every second he could, swimming in between rests and naps. Watching him enjoy the water again meant more than I can put into words.

During our stay, we did have to call hospice. We needed aerosol nebulizer breathing treatments ordered from a local pharmacy, and our portable concentrator started giving us trouble. But like always, my husband stepped in and saved the day — bringing Cayden’s larger concentrator along with his breathing treatments and new prescriptions so we could keep him comfortable and make it work.

And we did. We made the memories.

Cayden is so unbelievably strong. I can see how tired he is, yet he keeps pushing forward. I am constantly in awe of his strength and resilience. I love this boy more than words could ever express.

Cancer can kick rocks.

https://gofund.me/0c42db905

Venmo: badassautismmama
Cash app: $ChristinaTuikka

Videos in comments!

01/03/2026

With the approval of this wonderful individual I am sharing what a great experience this was with Cayden on Friday. He went to the mall with my husband in hopes to ride the train that he usually enjoys so much. Unfortunately, Cayden has not wanted to ride the ride like he usually does.

This was planned last minute to meet with an individual named Stephen. I asked Stephen to explain in his own words how this went. Please read below!! And enjoy the pictures!!!

“I heard about the fundraiser for Cayden and I decided to go to buy dinner. When I arrived I bought my food and was about to leave. A thought came to me maybe I could ask for or buy a wristband to wear for my race to show support for Cayden. I went back inside the restaurant and asked several people about it. I mentioned I would be running a race next weekend (the Gasparilla Distance Classic, in Tampa, Florida) and I would like to show support for Cayden. After this I spoke to your husband and he gave me his wristband. Later, I learned they had supporter medals and when I went to the Tampa convention center to pick up my race packet I was able to add them.

As far as the picture you shared, I was trying to tell Cayden I ran a race for him. Then show him the supporter medals that were his from the race. He was initially very interested in learning why I was there and I think after he put the information together he was happy. I spent a little over an hour with Cayden and your husband. Cayden used his iPad to take some pictures of me and when we left that table he wanted me to go with him. We walked around several places in the mall - round one, Annie’s pretzels in the food court, and the lobby near Dick’s Sporting Goods. Cayden didn’t ride the train like he usually does. I asked Cayden if it was okay if we took a picture together and that was when your husband took the picture of Cayden and I on the black couch. Before he left I said goodbye to Cayden and he said “bye” to me. I asked him if I could give him a hug and he leaned forward so I could.“