Support The Alayna Jayne Foundation

Help Raise Awareness & Cover The Cost of Cold Capping for AYA Cancer Patients...

Alayna was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma, Stage II cancer at the beginning of her senior year of high school. This athletic, energetic, vibrant young girl's life was turned upside down. She had just competed in The USA Age Group National Triathlon and now understood why she had been feeling so exhausted. This was supposed to be the pinnacle of her school career, but instead she was faced with having to fight for her life.

Her Mom wanted to keep things as normal as possible for Alayna as they navigated through treatment options. She quickly learned to ask questions; "You don't know until you ask", became her motto and as a result Alayna became the youngest patient at the fertility clinic to freeze her eggs prior to chemo. She was nicknamed the pioneer patient by her doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering, NYC for the many firsts she was achieving thanks to Mom's persistence. She was the first pediatric patient to receive some of her treatments at MSK satellite office in Monmouth, NJ (although most treatments and doctor visits were at MSK, NY). Most importantly, she was the first Pediatric Patient at MSK to use The Cold Cap and undergo scalp cooling during chemotherapy.

The cold cap is worn to help prevent hair loss during chemo treatments. It is readily available to the adult world of oncology, but virtually unheard of in the adolescent & young adult (AYA) community of oncology. These patients, as well as many doctors and medical staff are not aware of the cold cap and the benefits to scalp cooling. Unfortunately, this is a treatment not typically covered by health insurance.

After receiving so much support from friends, family and the community, it was time to pay things forward. Alayna now understands that even from a terrible, tragic event good things can prevail. And so together, Alayna and her Mom created The Alayna Jayne Foundation with hopes to bring awareness to the cold cap and help cover the cost of treatments while also pushing for healthcare coverage.