Wiedmer: Hixson Middle helping Paycen Higdon's path to recovery

Arkansas-SEMO Live Blog
photo Hixson Middle School

Pretty good.

That's how Paycen Higdon described his life on Sept. 5, the day after he starred at linebacker for Hixson Middle School against Signal Mountain -- and the day before the trouble began.

Until that Saturday morning, Sept. 6, the biggest worry in the 13-year-old's pretty good life might have centered on whether his beloved Auburn Tigers could repeat as SEC champs.

So much does Paycen love all things orange and blue that he was even sitting inside Jordan-Hare Stadium last November when Chris Davis ran back the most famous missed field goal in college football history, 109 yards of War Eagle magic to shock two-time defending champ Alabama in the Iron Bowl.

"This guy," said Paycen's father, Shawn, as he pointed to his son, "goes running onto the field after Davis scored and I chased right after him."

Pretty good life, indeed.

But then came that Saturday morning 19 days ago today at Paycen's grandparents' home. He woke up to find an uncomfortable lump between his chest and his armpit. There'd been no sign of it eight hours earlier. But now it was noticeable, and slightly painful.

"I thought it was a separated shoulder, from the game against Signal," Paycen recalled.

"I wasn't really worried," said his mother, Erika, who was by her son's side moments after he discovered the lump.

A Monday trip to the doctor changed everything, however. Paycen had a malignant tumor the size of an iPhone. His mother says it has since been diagnosed as Hodgkin's lymphoma. The teenager will have a chemotherapy port placed in him Friday, as well as having his bone marrow tested for cancer. Chemo treatments begin early next week.

"A total sense of disbelief," Paycen said of the numbing news. "My first thought was, 'What am I going to have to do to get rid of this?' The second thought was about God."

Said longtime Hixson Middle coach David McElhaney: "Paycen's playing with us one day, then he comes down with this issue. When his father texted me that Monday to tell me it was cancer, my jaw dropped. These kids are like my own sons, and in 11 years I've never had one of them have cancer. It probably took me a week to tell the team."

Donnie Thacker's 12-year-old son Trey plays on the Hixson Middle JV team. As Trey attempted to talk to his father the other day about Paycen's condition, he started to cry.

"They've played every down for him since the moment they found out," said the elder Thacker.

On Tuesday night at Hixson High School, that love and concern showed in countless ways. Hixson Middle having begun a tradition five or six years ago of honoring the departing eighth-graders and their parents with a "Pink-Out" ceremony, McElhaney decided to make it a Green-Out this time around against Red Bank, given that the color green is associated with lymphoma in much the same way pink is tied to breast cancer.

So everyone showed up with green ribbons highlighted by black helmets bearing the No. 16, which is Paycen's jersey number. There were also apple green posters bearing the names of each of Hixson Middle's eighth-grade players, as well as the request to "PrayforPay." Most of the parents and almost all of the players wore something green, be it a shirt, socks or sweatbands. And when Paycen and his parents were announced, the crowd delivered its loudest and longest cheer of the evening.

"Paycen's just a great player and a great person," said Hixson Middle assistant coach Todd Worley. "If anyone's strong enough to get through this, it's him."

Added Paycen: "It really touches me for them to support me like this. I'm really, really thankful."

Not that it's only the Hixson community that's been supportive. Auburn coach Guz Malzahn has sent emails and autographed pictures, as has senior wide receiver Quan Bray. Beyond that, the doctors have informed Paycen that he'll be allowed to take in at least one or two AU games this fall if he feels like it, since football's played outside, where there's less risk of germs attacking his immune system.

"That's probably the best news I've had," Paycen said with a smile.

We've killed a lot of trees and placed a lot of websites under a caution flag the last couple of weeks as we've tried to sort through all the bad news concerning football at its highest levels. And much of that disgust and disillusionment is deserved.

But Tuesday night at Hixson High School's football field -- so many folks wrapped in green and all of them cheering and praying for Paycen Higdon's recovery -- was also a shining example of the power of sports to bring a community closer together for something good.

"Amazing," Erika said as she soaked in the support. "I don't know that you can comprehend it."

Call it a pretty good start to a long, rough road to recovery.

Contact Mark Wiedmer at mwiedmer@timesfreepress.com.

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