CROWLEY, La. (KLFY) -- A boutique in Crowley offers shopping, coffee, and sweet treats while supporting families affected by cancer through Hayden's Corner.

Hayden's Corner, located inside the Louisiana Gift and Bath Company in downtown Crowley, was created by the Ruffner family to help ease the financial burden for families dealing with osteosarcoma and other cancers.

"It's all just for a good purpose," Ruffner said, an osteosarcoma patient at St. Jude Hospital. "Anybody and everybody that comes in here is always supporting someone like me."

Hayden Ruffner was diagnosed five years ago with a cancer that affects only one in 4,000 people, usually in their adolescent years. The cancer often attacks joints, typically in the legs, which was the case for Hayden. After removing a tumor below his knee and spending a year in treatment at the st. Jude affiliate in baton rouge, Hayden was transferred to Memphis. He has since been part of three chemo trials.

"I was one of 200 or one of 100 every single time. So, um, because they haven’t given anything else in 60 years… nothing is new in 60 years. So, it’s pretty harsh to know that." Ruffner said.

Hayden's Corner helps families pay for lodging, food, and travel when their child is being treated at a St. Jude affiliate hospital, where only treatment and patient costs are covered. The Ruffner family also hopes to donate funds to osteosarcoma research.

Hayden's Corner serves as a beacon of hope and support for families facing the challenges of cancer treatment, with every purchase contributing to a greater cause.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KLFY. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KLFY staff before being published.

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