Jaden Blackwell fell in love with football at age 5. That same year, a pediatrician heard a swishing sound in Jaden's chest.
It was a heart murmur.
With no heart-related symptoms, and mild asthma his only other health issue, Jaden was cleared to play sports. His pediatric cardiologist said they'd keep tabs on the murmur with annual checkups to make sure Jaden didn't get worse.
Over the next few years, he played in local football leagues near his home in Atlanta. He was the youngest of six kids, and his parents and siblings, including Chandra, Travius, Keidra and Shelsey, cheered him on from the bleachers. Jaden and his mother, Beverly Blackwell, were especially close.
Jaden was also close with Shelsey. Eleven years older, she had heart issues, too. She was born with a small hole in her heart that ended up closing on its own. And she had a heart murmur.
The day Shelsey left for college, her packed bags and boxes piled by the door, Jaden burst into tears. "Don't go!" he said. Shelsey reassured 7-year-old Jaden she'd be home every weekend to visit and that she'd still cheer him on at games.
Freshman year of high school, Jaden joined the varsity football team as a defensive lineman. He forged close friendships with his teammates, and especially with five other teens. Classmates called the boys the "Sack Pack" for their strength.
"Jaden wasn't a very big guy, but he was extremely strong and talented," said his high school offensive line coach Jon Biggs. "He took down bigger opponents with ease. He was a leader from day one, and he got that respect from his teammates and coaches."
Jaden never missed a practice, despite the grueling schedule: every morning at 5 for workouts, and then three hours on the field after school each day.
Partway through high school, Jaden's cardiologist noticed an especially slow heartbeat. Further testing showed he had atrioventricular heart block, a heart rhythm disorder that causes the heart to beat slower than it should.
Additional tests showed Jaden's heart was also large. Jaden was nervous his doctor would tell him to stop playing football. However, his heart block was considered mild, and his enlarged heart wasn't causing any issues, so he didn't need treatment. Much to Jaden's relief, his doctor cleared him to keep playing.
Then came the COVID-19 pandemic, during which Jaden missed a few checkups with his cardiologist to avoid risking Beverly's health, as she had diabetes.
As his senior year began, Jaden started feeling more tired on the field. Enough that his love of the game fizzled. He declined college football offers. Instead, he graduated high school in 2021 with plans to become a barber.
In the meantime, Jaden got a job at a factory that made car parts. Soon after graduation, he went on a trip to Tennessee with a friend. On the way home, he texted Beverly that he had a terrible headache. In fact, he'd been having headaches for a few weeks.
The next week, he and the friend left town again, this time for Miami. And, again, Jaden texted Beverly that his head was throbbing. She suggested he take pain medicine and drink plenty of water. They scheduled a cardiologist appointment for the following week.
A few days after Jaden got home from Florida, Beverly went down the hall to his room to see why he wasn't awake yet.
Normally, Shelsey would have seen Jaden in the morning. She'd moved nearby after college and stopped by the house every day. That morning, she was busy or running late and didn't pop into her brother's room.
As Beverly approached Jayden's door, she knocked, then girded herself for Jaden's usual trick - to be hidden when she walked in, then jump out at her.
But Beverly found Jaden lying in bed. His nose was bleeding. She called 911. Paramedics tried to resuscitate him, but they couldn't. Beverly lost her son on June 8, 2022, at age 19. Jaden's autopsy concluded he died from an enlarged heart.
Beverly, who's 65, has an enlarged heart, too. Heart disease runs in her family. She shares Jaden's story to help other families.
"I really encourage parents to get thorough and consistent checkups for their children with heart problems," said Beverly, a retired special education educator. "You have to be very, very careful."
After Jaden's death, his high school football team, the Newton County Rams, held a moment of silence for him and dedicated the season to Jaden.
In comments after Jaden's funeral, friends and community members remembered Jaden as someone with a joyful heart, the friend you wanted to have, and a sweet and respectful young man who always had a smile on his face. One said, "What a joy he was to all."
Keyshawn Blackstock, Jaden's longtime friend, teammate and offensive lineman for the University of Arkansas, chose to wear Jaden's high school number, 54.
Beverly takes some solace in the fact that Jaden's spirit lives on through Blackstock. That and her message to parents help to give her purpose.
"Get your kids checked, get yourself checked," Beverly said. "When that heart is stopped, that's it."
Written by Deborah Lynn Blumberg.
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