Jayden Zurlinden played "Free Bird" on the new guitar he got for Christmas and told his family he loved them. But outside Cincinnati Children's Hospital, it wasn't snowing. It was June.
The Zurlindens, of West Chester, had crammed a year's worth of holidays into one day. They knew 20-year-old Jayden, a Lakota West High School graduate, wouldn't make it to his next celebration.
Jayden Zurlinden, a beloved son, brother, boyfriend and musician, died three days later on June 9, 2026, of osteosarcoma. Jayden was diagnosed with a rare form of pediatric cancer at 18 months old and survived. But the radiation that saved his life as a toddler would take it years later.
In addition to facing Jayden's cancer diagnoses, the Zurlinden family had to navigate
a complex web of insurance and complicated treatment options, including a promising one in California. They reached out to Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and his staff for help. Despite all of their best efforts, it was too late for Jayden.
However, those conversations helped DeWine understand the challenges that many Ohio parents face when navigating Ohio's complex systems. In response, DeWine announced a new pediatric complex care and navigation program. The program will connect families with state employees who will help them navigate insurance, medication assistance, nonprofit help and other needs.
"Gov. DeWine and his team were there when we needed someone to help us navigate a system that felt impossible while our son was running out of time," Jayden's mother, Cassie, told reporters on Sept. 1. " We'll always be grateful for that, but every family should have that kind of hope."
DeWine plans to expand a preexisting group of state employees to help Ohio families facing pediatric cancer better navigate Ohio's complicated systems. Pediatric hospital staff would connect families with these state resources.
"Government can be complex. Our job is to make it simple for people who are facing the most tragic, most challenging circumstances in their lives," DeWine said.
DeWine is term-limited and will be replaced by either Republican entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy or Democratic Dr. Amy Acton after the November election. DeWine said he hopes his successor will continue to invest in pediatric cancer research and ways to connect families with care.
In the latest state budget, Ohio lawmakers approved $5 million for research into improving the detection and treatment of cancer in children. Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and the research institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital were among the recipients.
DeWine had initially asked for a $10 million investment. "I was happy to get the $5 (million) but I think as we go forward, certainly $10 (million) is a place to start with," he said.
State government reporter Jessie Balmert can be reached at jbalmert@usatodayco.com or @jbalmert on X.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio families facing pediatric cancer need more state help, DeWine says
