Every once in a while, you come across a story that just brings a tear to your eye and a smile to your face in a perfect blend of compassion and love. This story is exactly that kind of thing, having lost a grandmother, an aunt, and a great aunt to cancer there is a special place in my heart for those who battle cancer. And those who raise awareness selflessly and try to bring awareness to the striking reality that Pediatric cancer is unfortunately not as rare as we might think.

Jim Hickey is a 62-year-old Marine veteran who raises awareness specifically for Pediatric cancer patients by walking great distances to bring attention to specific children he hears about. In total to date, Jim has walked over 9,100 miles, starting back in 1998 after losing his own father to prostate cancer. Jim funds all of his trips himself, with the backpack on his back, he’s never had cooperate sponsors or anyone to pay for anything. Some wonderful people and places have donated meals and places to stay along the way, but that’s it. He’s walked from Chicago to St. Louis, St. Louis to Kansas City, San Diego to Los Angeles, and Cheyenne to Denver to name a few. He’s even attempted to walk the entire length of the United States coast to coast five separate times, three ending in heartbreak one specifically ending after being hit by a vehicle, two others ending due to not being able to find a support group walking into the desert. Jim told me “I may be crazy, but I’m not walking into the desert with no help crazy.”  

When he heard about three-year-old Paishence’s story he just knew in his heart he needed to walk across Nebraska for her. Paishence was diagnosed in August of 2019 with tumors on her brain and spinal cord. Her mother Tara Meyer remembers this time very vividly. In a phone interview she states “Paishence was sick for a couple of months and I just kept being told it’s an ear infection, or it’s strep throat it wasn’t until we finally got to the Children’s Hospital of Omaha where they found her cancer. She was immediately put on hospice, and Children’s unfortunately had nothing more they could do.”

Tara states that their oncologist was able to refer them to St. Jude’s research hospital and there they got started on treatment just before Paishence turned 3 years old. Tara says “We thank God for St. Jude’s everyday if we didn’t get accepted there, I wouldn’t have my daughter in my life, and we wouldn’t be where we are today. After two rounds of chemotherapy and two rounds of radiation, we had to come back to Nebraska and finish up treatments at Children’s in Omaha because I have 3 other children who needed me one of which was a new born at the time.”

Jim was told of Paishences story and just knew in his heart he had to do something to help this family. Jim then met with Tara and Miss Paishence and said her striking blue eyes stole his heart and he knew he could walk across Nebraska to raise awareness of her battle and try to raise some funds for her family because they had to drive from Cozad to Omaha regularly for her treatments. 

In a phone interview Jim said “I saw her Go Fund Me page and it just wasn’t enough. I was disappointed. I knew in my heart I needed to do this for her and her mother to help her focus on her daughter’s treatments not on how to pay for it.” Jim started his walk the first time just after Paishences birthday in September of 2021 and about a month into it he started having health problems, and received his own cancer diagnosis of both bladder and kidney cancer so he had to stop his walk and undergo extensive treatment and surgeries for himself. 

“I felt heartbroken I couldn’t finish my walk for her,” says Jim. “I had to break a promise to a little girl with a brain tumor and it broke every part of my heart.” 

Jim has under gone 5 separate surgeries, and chemotherapy but gives credit to God and his faith for getting him strong enough to keep his promise to Paishence and after a couple years and some healing he’s back on his journey again.  
Starting Monday, February 26, 2024 he took off from Aurora to walk to Central City. Aaron and Jody Kunz of Dairy Queen graciously agreed to donate meals to him while he’s in Central City. He plans to take off from Central City to head to Columbus on Friday March 1, around 9am, and forward with him finishing at Children’s Hospital in Omaha on March 18, in time to be there when Gov. Jim Pillion honors Paishence at the state capital. 

“I knew I had to do this”, states Hickey. “I don’t walk a specific mileage a day, just however far it is till my next stop. With my health being the way it is this walk is going to take a little longer, but I’m thankful to be able to finish this one.” 

Jim Hickey is truly a one-of-a-kind man; he has an amazingly positive outlook on his prognosis for his own cancer battle. He wants to continue to keep walking to raise money specifically for Pediatric cancer, and encourages anyone who wants to donate to donate to St. Jude’s Research Hospital, Curesearch.org which specializes in funding Pediatric cancer research or to Paishences family directly. He never takes cash donations, so there’s never a question of where donations go.

“I don’t want this to be about me,” Jims says “I want people to put a face to Pediatric cancer, one in four children will be diagnosed with some form of pediatric cancer and with no cure that’s too much. Tucking healthy children in at night shouldn’t be like winning the lottery.” 

Tara Meyer provided an update Paishences current condition, “She’ll never be cured, her goal was to carry a backpack, and now she’s in first grade and Cozad Public Schools does amazing. She’s suffering from stunted growth, stunted development, and some other complications from her diagnosis, but most days she’s a ray of sunshine. She’s stable for now and in declared remission because the tumors are no longer growing, but we have to do scans every 6 months and pray they don’t grow. We’re just grateful for everyday she’s here.” 

Tara asked if anyone wants to donate to find her “Prayers for Paishence” Facebook page and message her directly or to please donate to St. Jude’s.  Jim will continue his walk on the 1st and encourages everyone to show up and make a show for Paishence as she will be here to watch him walk along Highway 30 on his way to Columbus. He plans to leave Central City around 9am from the Veteran's Memorial. Lets show this gentleman the truly one-of-a-kind community we have here and wish him the best on his inspirational journey!