POV: You Get The Same Rare Bone Tumor As Your Surf Filmer

Roughly a year ago, we reoported on one of the surf industry’s young talents — Hayden Garfield — being diagnosed with cancer.

“Hayden was diagnosed with a rare bone cancer called Adamantinoma,” read his GoFundMe. “It’s very rare, less than 1% of all bone cancers and there isn’t a lot of research or information out there. This kind of bone cancer does not respond to chemotherapy or radiation. Surgery is his only option at this point.”

Now, roughly a year and some hectic surgeries later, Hayden is fortunately 99% healthy — so naturally, he’s made a film. The edit above features Juliette Lacome, whose life ended up taking a strange parallel to Hayden’s. 

“Basically Juliette and I were in Hawaii two years ago, and we wanted to do a film,” he says. “We just wanted to make some projects, and by the time we got around to it, I got diagnosed with a super rare bone cancer. Six months into my recovery, she messages me and says she has a tumor in her leg in pretty much the same spot, a little bit farther up in her knee. What are the odds that we’re friends, in the surf world, similar age, and then we’re both trying to make this project together? That’s how it all started. Juliette and I had a similar tumor, but it was a different type, if that makes sense. Mine was cancerous, Juliette’s was not.”

“The recovery was definitely gnarly,” he continues. “They basically took out four inches of my left tibia out and put a cadaver bone in there with some plates and screws to just remove all of the cancer. It was a full year before I was fully walking on my own.”

“Juliette and I got through all the recovery and stayed in touch through such a weird, crazy time. Then we met up in France and we finally got to do our little project. Now we’re looking forward to making more.”