Help Give Kaden a Chance to Thrive Again

Hi everyone,

Thank you for taking the time to read and share Kaden’s story. If you know the St. John Forde family, you know how deeply they care for others and how strong their love and commitment to help their son is. Now, after nearly three years of battling a life-altering migraine condition, they need our help.

Kaden’s Story

Kaden is a bright, athletic, social, and kind-hearted 16-year-old who has spent much of the last three years living with migraine related pain. Despite aggressive medical treatment, his condition has worsened over time, evolving into increased abdominal migraines and central sensitization syndrome resulting in him being stuck in an ongoing pain cycle for the past 8 months. He has missed out on so much: school, basketball, friendships, and simply being a teenager.

Kaden’s care team at UTSW in Dallas referred him to the Pediatric Pain Rehabilitation Center (PPRC) at the world-renowned Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. With a 98% success rate, this program gives Kaden an incredible chance at regaining functionality and learning how to live and thrive despite pain.

Why We’re Fundraising

Although Mayo Clinic deemed the treatment medically necessary—and it was supported by his entire Dallas care team—insurance has refused to cover it. The reason? They have classified his condition to be “chronic and medically stable”. Additionally, they are denying coverage for any future treatment related to Kaden’s condition.

The cost of the Mayo Clinic treatment, temporary relocation to Minnesota for a month, out-of-pocket expenses over the past 3 years (hospitalizations, medications, procedures, non-reimbursable tuition because of withdraw from school during 8th, 9th, and 10th grade, incremental academic accommodations and tutors) have added up. This cost is approaching $150,000 of out-of-pocket expenses without a clear end in sight.

The St. John Forde family has quietly shouldered this financial burden without asking for help—but their community wants to rally around them now given the finality of their insurance company’s decision.

The Hope Ahead

The Mayo Clinic PPRC is a 3.5-week intensive program focused on retraining the nervous system through a multimodal approach: physical therapy, occupational therapy, psychology, and pain education. It specifically targets Central Sensitization Syndrome (CSS)—a condition where the brain and spinal cord become hypersensitive to pain signals.

The goal is to help Kaden rewire his pain response, regain function, and return to the life he once loved: school, basketball, and time with friends.

While this program won’t “cure” his migraines, it can give him the tools and support he needs to cope with the pain so he can live fully again.

How You Can Help

Kaden’s journey has been long and incredibly difficult, but he continues to show up with strength, positivity, and gratitude with the support of his family. Our hope is that you will join us as a community to show up for them.

Here’s how you can support the St. John Forde family:

Donate – Every gift, no matter the size, helps lighten the load.

Share – Please spread this campaign with friends, family, coworkers, and on social media.

Send Love – Prayers, kind words, and encouragement mean everything right now.

The beauty of GoFundMe is it gives communities a way to band together in big and small ways to help those we love. With love and gratitude,

Kim Wylie and Alison Silliman

(Family friends & campaign organizers)