Broken Arrow football rallies around little girl with eye cancer

BROKEN ARROW, Okla. — The Broken Arrow High School football team will have a special sticker on their helmets this season. The yellow ribbon is a symbol of support for children battling cancer.

Their ribbons will specifically honor 6-year-old Jayniaha Buntin. The little girl may have to lose her left eye after getting diagnosed with retinoblastoma.

“Jayniaha I just want you to know how much you inspire these guys and me,” said Head Football Coach Josh Blankenship. “We’re going to try to fight like you fight because you’re awesome and we’re proud to be a part of this thing with you.”

Blankenship was holding back tears talking to Jayniaha at the team’s practice Wednesday. He says her story resonates with him as a father.

“He and Jayniaha are really determined to fight and to battle,” Blankenship said.

It’s been a battle for nearly a year and came as a total surprise to Jesse Buntin and his wife.

“My wife, she’s on it, she takes the kids to the eye doctor every year to get their eyes checked, and we just went and as soon as we went, they checked it, and they found it,” Buntin said.

Doctors discovered the cancer on Oct. 24, 2021. The routine check uncovered a mass in Jayniaha’s left eye. Almost immediately the family was connected with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis.

Jesse and Jayniaha visit the hospital three days at a time, every three weeks.

“She’s a fighter,” said Buntin. “She told me not to worry. She goes, ‘Daddy, I’ll beat cancer. I’m stronger than cancer.’”

Retinoblastoma, a pediatric eye cancer, is curable. Buntin says doctors caught it early in his little girl. The process now is to get rid of the tumor. That’s been a challenge so far.

“It’ll go down and come back,” said Buntin. “It’ll go down and come back. It will shrink and then it’ll grow again.”

Buntin says doctors have told him if the mass is still there by December, they may have to remove her left eye completely. It’s been a difficult time for the family, but the silver lining has been the support they’ve received from their community.

“It’s been a struggle, but it’s also been awesome to see who has your back when you need them,” Buntin said.

Before becoming the Director of Broken Arrow Youth Football, Buntin was the bus driver for the high school team. It was that job that connected him with Blankenship.

When Blankenship heard his story, he knew he had to get the team involved to help.