CARLISLE, Pa. — Nothing has stopped Carlisle senior Jaydon Smith from living out his dream, not even his diagnosis of Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy his sophomore year. His heart condition made it difficult for blood to be pumped throughout his body.
"If it gets too bad, I start seeing black spots," Smith explained. "That’s how it was diagnosed but I can also have trouble breathing and stuff like that.”
Smith didn't know if his basketball career would be able to continue, but when doctors cleared him, that was all he needed to hear to return to the court. His senior season has been filled with big performances and he recently etched his name in school history scoring his 1,000th point.
"It means a lot," said Smith. "Obviously, knowing if I wasn’t going to play or not, so being here able to play means a lot, especially with the accolades."
Smith goes for frequent heart checkups and carries his AED to every gym he enters, but that hasn't stopped his passion for giving it his all every time he hits the court.
“He goes out and he plays as hard as he can," said Thundering Herd head coach Andre Anderson. "He’s not too concerned with that in the back of his mind and he doesn’t play with any fear of it. That’s been great for all of us.”
Smith is leading with his words and actions. He not only has pushed past his diagnosis, he's continuing his career in college as he will play for Shippensburg University next year.
"It was a huge moment to be able to commit especially for my mom who has been in my corner every step of the way," said Smith. "All my coaches have been there for me and I'm excited to finish the year strong."