Inspired by his experience in Scouting, parents create nonprofit to keep child’s memory alive

Kayven Hopper, a Cub Scout from Pack 683 in Derby, Kansas, was 9 years old when he lost his battle with epilepsy.

His Cub Scout spirit, however, lives on, thanks to Kayven’s Helping Hands, the organization founded by his parents to give other kids the same opportunities that Kayven had, including Cub Scouting.

“We created Kayven’s Helping Hands to keep his memory alive and to help others,” says Kayven’s mother, Kacey. “It’s inspired by his love for reading, friendships and adventure.”

In partnership with the Kansas Alliance for Nonprofits, the mission of Kayven’s Helping Hands is spelled out in the organization’s motto: “making adventures possible for all.”

In 2024, they built seven Little Free Libraries and distributed 450 books to kids in need. The organization’s enrichment fund helps families pay for activities such as summer camp, STEM programs, school clubs and Cub Scouting.

And its empowerment initiative aims to educate the public about epilepsy and epilepsy-related first aid.

“We were told once that grief is love with no place to go,” Kacey says. “Kayven’s Helping Hands is a way for us to give our love to Kayven by helping others.”

A true Cub Scout helper

Kayven wasn’t a huge fan of doing chores — unless those tasks were reframed as “helping.”

“We called him ‘the helper boy’ from a young age,” Kacey says. “He just liked helping people, whether it was at home or out and about.”

At one Cub Scout popcorn fundraiser that was held outside a grocery store, Kayven took it upon himself to help people load groceries into their vehicles.

“He just loved helping people like that,” says Kayven’s father, Steven. “If it was a chore or a requirement, he didn’t have that much interest. But if it was, ‘Hey, can you show me how to do this?’ it took on a whole new life for him.”

When Pack 683 Cubmaster Jason Jones would ask the members of his pack how they were doing, the kids would shout out things like “Fantastic! Terrific!” with Kayven leading the charge.

“I would always be able to see and hear Kayven trying to be as loud as possible,” Jones says. “He was a trustworthy kid, always honest in his answers and how he felt about something. He was a loyal friend to his peers, and he was always inclusive, friendly and kind.”

Help from the Cub Scout community

Kayven had seizures as a toddler, usually in conjunction with a fever or illness of some sort, but his doctors had predicted that he would eventually grow out of that. For the most part, he was able to participate in all the same activities as his peers.

When he was 6, he had a drop seizure, in which a person is going about their activities as normal when they suddenly drop to the ground. But multiple scans and tests revealed no underlying issue.

Then, in February 2023, while at school, Kayven had an absence seizure, in which a person becomes rigid and appears to just “zone out,” and he was diagnosed with epilepsy. This forced his parents to restrict some of his activities. For example, he couldn’t climb on the higher playground equipment because another seizure could result in a dangerous fall.

Cub Scouting, however, was a constant through it all, with his dad serving as a den leader. In fact, Steven says their Cub Scout community was a major help during those times of uncertainty.

“The group of kids and parents in our group — I’ve never seen anything like it before,” he says. “Every parent was there every time because they just believed in the program so much.”

Keeping Kayven’s memory alive

On May 30, 2024, what would have been Kayven’s tenth birthday, the Hoppers hosted an event to celebrate all the things that Kayven loved. Activities included rock painting, kite making and paper airplanes, and Scouts from Pack 683 showed up to build a campfire and cook s’mores.

The Hoppers conducted a raffle, selling items donated by businesses from the community, and raised around $3,000. They decided to use the funds to start Kayven’s Helping Hands.

“Seeing so many kids and families attend, as well as the amount of money we raised, we wanted to make sure it was put to good use,” Kacey says.

The family will host its second event in honor of Kayven on May 23.

“We just want to keep Kayven’s memory alive and to honor him,” Kacey says. “We hope to make a lasting impact on our community for generations to come. Our hope is that Kayven’s Helping Hands will be forever providing books to kids, funding adventures and helping families that are dealing with epilepsy.”

Click here to learn more about Kayven’s Helping Hands.

Photos courtesy of the Hopper family