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Image via Brenda Vaden/Instagram
Courage can come in all different sizes. For Jayden Burgos, who lost his eye to retinoblastoma two weeks after his first birthday, it meant going to school without his prosthetic.
The moment came when Jayden’s mom Brenda showed him a picture of Fetty Wap, who also lost an eye as an infant (baby Fetty suffered from glaucoma). “Jayden was immediately taken aback,” Brenda said. “At first he didn’t say much, but then we would overhear him talking to family members and friends about this rapper Fetty Wap who, like him, was missing an eye, and how he thought it was really cool.”
Jayden eventually worked up the courage to remove his prosthetic eye before going to school. “At the end of the day,” his mom told People, he said everyone was talking about him, that most kids were curious and wanted to see it, some said it was gross. ‘But I really didn’t care, it was fine,’ he said. ‘The kids are calling me Fetty,’ he said, with the biggest smile on his face.”
The news eventually reached the rapper himself, who said “I’m proud of Jayden and I appreciate him more than he may know.”
“I’ve been talked about my whole entire life,” the rapper said. “The only difference now is they’re saying good things about the guy with one eye.”
It inspired Jayden’s mom to write a lengthy Facebook post thanking the rapper. You can read that below, and look out for Fetty’s debut album when it hits stores tomorrow. You can preview it now.
(Warning: long sentimental post ahead) Today I am forever thankful to a young man named Willie Maxwell aka Fetty Wap. While his music is catchy (not always agree with his lyrics but hey who am I to judge…), I’m not necessarily his fan (although Trap Queen is my jam), BUT today I’m his biggest fan.
Many close friends, and of course our family know that Jayden was diagnosed with Retinoblastoma at the age of 1. In result of that he had his right eye removed 2 weeks after his 1st bday. He’s worn a prosthetic eye since then. He has always been terrified of taking it out and would not be caught without it…and then comes along Fetty Wap… Similar to Jayden he lost an eye at a young age and along the way he decided that he didn’t want to wear his prosthetic eye anymore, so he stopped.
Jayden, let it be known, is a Fetty Wap fan, a real fan, not like me ha! Well, today, after weeks of asking, Jayden is venturing the world without his prosthetic. I of course am a wreck because this world can be cruel, but so proud of our Boogies. This young rapper unknowingly gave Jayden something we weren’t able to give him-the confidence to be different- and I am grateful to him. Thanks to Fetty Wap for saying F the world this is me, and for helping make our baby boy just a little more remarkable than he already is. And we’ll be purchasing his album, a small thank you to him for changing Jayden’s life forever.
