KINGSTON, R.I. - Graduate student DJ Perron wanted to use his platform to do something special in his final season of collegiate eligibility with the Rhode Island baseball team.
The only player that started all 47 of the team's games in 2024, Perron hit the ground running when he came to Kingston after a highly-decorated career with UMass Dartmouth (2020-23). His first season with the Rams coincided with the team's Home Runs for Hasbro initiative, in which Rhody raised money for Providence's Hasbro Children's Hospital.
This year, Perron wanted to take his own personal support of pediatric cancer patients a step further. When he found out a fellow baseball player from his hometown of Swansea, Mass. was diagnosed with cancer last year, an idea started to take shape in his head. Once he made contact with the family, he knew he was on the right path.
In similar fashion to the NFL's My Cause My Cleats campaign, Perron brought his game cleats home to Swansea and asked his new pal, Brayden, to put his mark on them.
"It's really special to me to honor someone from my hometown," Perron said. "When I first heard Brayden's story and realized we shared the same love of baseball, I wanted to help support him in any way possible. These cleats will represent not only a special connection I feel to my hometown but also a signal of strength, courage and determination to keep fighting."
Brayden was diagnosed in February 2024 with acute myeloid leukemia, along with two gene mutations which would make his only road to cure a stem cell transplant. In May of that same year, Brayden was matched with a donor and completed his stem cell transplant. After 128 days at Boston Children's Hospital, Brayden was finally able to go home in July.
Since leaving Boston, Brayden has continued his outpatient treatments at The Jimmy Fund Clinic. He will continue to be seen for the next five years and, as of his last major mile marker in January 2025, he is by all clinical accounts in remission thnaks to a successful transfer.
Brayden's parents noted that though this has been the fight of his life, anyone who has encountered Brayden would be impressed by the positivity, strength, courage and determination he has shown throughout his journey.
"I hope this whole thing continues to bring a smile to Brayden's face," Perron added. "Every time he sees me on that field, I want to give him something to feel happy about, especially when he comes to see us play at Bill Beck Field this spring."
