GREEN, Ohio — Sometimes, all you need is a bit of sunshine. That’s what 9-year-old Payton Green got as she underwent treatment for a brain tumor.
Payton is from the City of Green in Summit County. Back in 2019, Payton’s parents first realized something was wrong when she suddenly couldn’t hold a pencil, draw, or write with her right hand, which had been her dominant side. They also said that her right side began seizing up when she would try to hold something.
In late December that year, she was diagnosed with slow-growing Pilocytic Astrocytoma, the most common pediatric brain tumor. The problem with Payton’s tumor was that it was in her thalamus, in the center of her brain. That’s why doctors couldn’t operate on it the way they would with other tumors of the same kind.
So Payton started chemotherapy treatment – in the midst of a pandemic. And the Green family had to learn to navigate two new normals.
Enter Tina Harmon, the Green’s neighbor. The entire Harmon family welcomed the Greens with open arms when they moved into the neighborhood. The Harmon’s grandchildren are similar in age with the youngest members of the Green family, and they are good friends.
“The epitome of what you would want in a neighbor is what they’ve been to us,” said Julie Green, Payton’s mom. “To not be that close, like best friend close, and the things that they’ve just done and the kindness that they’ve showed our family has just been incredible.”
Harmon wanted to give the Green family a boost, so she designed and made t-shirts for Payton to wear to every single one of her chemo treatments.
“Our neighbor was so nice and she would just drop it off at the door, she wouldn’t say a single thing to our family, she wouldn’t bother anything, but we’d open it up and she’d have a new t shirt that was sometimes like, funny, sometimes they were inspirational,” said Julie.
“I like the one that says ‘I’m 2020% done,’” said Payton.
Harmon made more than 75 shirts in all for Payton, her class, her family and hospital staff. She kept a running list of shirt ideas so that she didn’t accidentally duplicate – ‘Feeling Lucky Today,’ ‘Be Kind,’ ‘Be Happy,’ ‘Hangin’ with my Peeps,’ and ‘Be Bold, Be Fearless, Be Brave’ were just some of the designs Harmon came up with.
“I just thought when their life was turned upside down, they just wouldn’t be in the mindset for the little teeny fine details on day to day life,” said Harmon. “And that was something that I could do.”
Harmon said she didn’t initially think her gesture would have as big an impact as it did.
“I didn’t realize how it would affect her until I started getting a few pictures of her on chemo day,” she said. “And she looked so cute with her blond hair and her big bow. And you know what, if that was a little way to make Payton’s day, you know her bad chemo day, a little better, then it was really worth it.”
Something else Harmon did was offer to let Payton swim in her pool last summer. Payton loves to go to her family’s cottage on Lake Erie, but wasn’t allowed to swim in the lake because of her chemo port. But the Harmons made sure Payton had a safe place to do one of her favorite activities.
Payton has been undergoing chemotherapy since January 2020. She recently finished treatment, which consisted of four weeks on, two weeks off for the past 15 months. Payton’s treatment recently wrapped up, but she will have to have MRIs every three months for the next year or so to ensure that her tumor doesn’t return. Then after that, she’ll have to have MRIs periodically until she’s 25. Payton and her family say they’re looking forward to returning to normal life.
“I’m looking forward to getting off the roller coaster this year for a minute. I feel like this year has been like 18 months of just, on the rollercoaster,” said Ehren Green, Payton's dad.
Payton and her family say, they want to remember the kindness Harmon showed them, so they’re going to have all of Payton’s shirts made into a quilt so that she can keep it forever.
Ehren Green says he and his family are incredibly blessed, and Payton is an incredible kid.
“She’s been through a lot. She always comes out smiling and staying positive and doesn’t complain, even when she’s sick for days on end,” he said. “She’s pretty remarkable. She is absolutely my hero. The way she fights and…toughest kid I know.”
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