by Mike Matzinger
Sixteen years ago, alum Jaden Boncler was born weighing just over one pound.
After complications during pregnancy, he arrived months early and spent nearly six months in the NICU at St. Francis Hospital in Colorado Springs. His family was told he had virtually no chance of surviving.
His mother later recalled that there were moments when the medical team believed there was nothing more they could do. Yet they never stopped caring for him, and somehow Jaden pulled through.
Recently, on his 16th birthday, Jaden returned to the NICU to thank the doctors and nurses who helped save his life. Imagine being one of those caregivers and seeing a healthy young man walk back through the doors 16 years later.
The part of the story that especially resonated with me is what Jaden has accomplished since then.
Despite predictions that he might never walk or talk, Jaden recently earned the rank of Eagle Scout.
Anyone who has earned Eagle, or helped a Scout do so, knows what that represents. It is years of camping, learning, serving others, leading peers, overcoming setbacks, and refusing to quit. It doesn’t happen overnight, and it doesn’t happen alone.
Jaden’s story is also a reminder that behind every Eagle Scout are parents, volunteers, teachers, mentors, and countless others who believed in a young person when the outcome wasn’t certain.
Congratulations to Jaden on earning Scouting’s highest rank. And thank you to the doctors, nurses, and NICU staff at St. Francis Hospital who gave him the opportunity to live the life he has today.