Lifting Up Hayden Stuart: A Young Man Facing an Unimaginable Battle

Mark White | The Mark White Show

McCalla, Alabama - On The Mark White Show, we lifted up a young man who has been carrying more than most of us will ever understand. His name is Hayden Stuart. He is 21 years old. He is a 2023 graduate of McAdory High School. Right now, he is walking through a battle that has reshaped every part of his life.

For nearly four years, Hayden has lived with ongoing seizures. Some days bring one or two. Other days bring as many as twelve. That means hospital visits, tests, treatments and long nights filled with uncertainty. It means a life touched by constant fear and constant change.

And yet, in the middle of everything he faces, something powerful has risen around him. People have shown up. People have prayed. People have reached out from all over to encourage him, support him and lift his family through days that most of us can barely imagine.

Hayden’s struggle began during his senior year of high school. What started with one seizure at Christmas quickly grew into monthly episodes, then weekly, and now daily. Every day brings something different. Some mornings he wakes up dizzy. Some afternoons he loses his balance. Some nights he cannot stay awake. Driving is no longer an option.

He told us, “It has become a part of my daily life. Every single day something new is happening.”

The hardest part, he shared, is the fear of the unknown. At 21 years old, when most young adults are beginning careers and building independence, he worries about how he will support himself in the future and what life will look like if things do not change.

Through it all, Hayden finds strength in his family. Days with his dad and his grandfather help quiet his thoughts. They work on small projects. They find things to do together. They stay busy. They keep his mind from drifting into fear.

“That is what keeps me going,” he said. “Just getting out and spending time with them.”

After trying multiple treatments, Hayden’s doctors are exploring several experimental options. Two involve strengthening the part of the brain where the seizures originate. Both are still unapproved by the FDA. Another option involves a device implanted in the brain, but the success rate is low, and he is not sure it is the right direction.

His hope is simple and heartfelt.

“I want to be seizure free,” he said. “That is what hope looks like.”

Hayden opened up about something most people never see. The internal battle. The thoughts that can spiral out of control. The fears that whisper that life will never return to normal. He has learned that he has to guard his mind as fiercely as he guards his health.

“You have to recognize when your brain is trying to trick you,” Hayden said. “Telling you that you will never have freedom again. Never drive again. Never go anywhere alone. You have to keep thinking good thoughts. That has helped me.”

Hayden told listeners how much every call, every message and every prayer means to him.

“I really appreciate how much everyone is reaching out. It means a lot,” he said. “Thank you all. I love y’all.”

As we closed the interview, I reminded Hayden that he is not walking alone.

If you would like to support Hayden, his family has created a GoFundMe.

Hayden has a lot of life left to live. There is still hope. As he continues to fight, we will continue to stand with him.