Editor’s note: The following article contains a couple of errors. We originally printed Hayden’s name incorrectly. Her name is Hayden Halbherr. Hayden’s biological father is Eric Halbherr. Billy May is her mother’s boyfriend.
The Panhellenic Council dunked pledges, sold T-shirts and served Papa John’s pizza Thursday on the Quad. The fundraiser was for Hayden Stone, a four-year-old girl suffering from Type 1 Primary Hyperoxaluria. Hayden’s disease causes her kidneys and liver to not process oxalate. The oxalate combines with calcium and can lead to kidney failure.
Hayden’s mother Kristi Stone said Hayden underwent kidney failure at four months. Hayden had her first kidney transplant in September 2009.
“It failed because we didn’t know she had Hyperoxaluria, we didn’t know it wouldn’t work,” Stone said.
Now Hayden receives dialysis treatments six days a week and is soon expected to move to seven.
“It felt like I saw her get hit by a car, like I have to see her get hit by a car everyday,” Stone said.
Stone lives with her parents in Indianapolis, and can not work. She must drive 15 miles to Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis to drop Hayden off for four and a half hours and pick her back up.
Although Stone receives a disability check for $700 every month, her expenses per month are $1500 or more. The money does not cover travel costs, physical therapy or anything that “makes Hayden’s life easier.”
As a result of Hayden’s disease, she is susceptible to many other sicknesses such as Renal Osteodystrophy, which causes her to have very brittle bones. Since her transplant in 2009, Hayden has had broken two toes, her right elbow, her left arm twice, her left femur and received multiple hairline fractures. Hayden cannot be involved in dance, one of her favorite activities, but her mother tries to keep Hayden active within her limits.
“She gets mad because as much as you want her to be a kid, you can’t,” Stone said.
Stone said she maybe gets five hours to herself once or twice and month but even on her days off, her “brain never stops worrying.”
“Everyday I wake up, I’m terrified that she may not,” Stone said.
Hayden’s father, Billy May, is currently serving in Afghanistan as a seven-year firefighter. Stone and May have been friends since seventh grade and have been dating for over a year. Stone is unable to receive any funds from May because they are not yet married.
“I’m basically non-existent in the military’s eyes,” Stone said.
May will receive 15 days of shore leave at the end of October, but he will not be back permanently until March. When Panhellenic Counsel Finance Vice President Chrissy Harris approached Stone with the idea for the fundraiser, Stone said it was too much.
“I literally cried when I heard the news,” Stone said.
Hayden is a family member of Harris. She first heard Hayden was sick through a phone call from her sister. Harris told her that she already had it taken care of.
“This is for a little girl,” Harris said. “Every dollar we make goes to them.”
Harris began making “Hope for Hayden” T-shirts three weeks ago with money out of the council’s own pocket. Currently they have sold over 400 shirts and have received $1,000 dollars in donations.
“Our goal for the event was $3,000,” Harris said. “Right now we have over $4,000 and are still counting.”
Harris said she saw this as an opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life and also to breakdown the stereotypes of fraternities and sororities.
“I think it shows that we do give back,” Harris said.
Program adviser to Greek life David Stetter said Harris’ passion was the driving force behind the event.
“She sold the story,” Stetter said.
He said the event quickly grew from a council initiative to a community initiative.
The buzz of a dunk tank in the middle of October “is a creative way to seek donations” Stetter said.
Senior criminal justice major Jimmy Hines was the first one in the tank.
“Who am I to say no to this,” Hines said. “It’s for a good cause.”
“Seeing that girl light up makes it all worthwhile,” he said as he shivered.