The emotional exchange took place last weekend at a private Sooner fan event in Norman, where Chamberlain was making an appearance alongside other OU legends. Among the crowd was..
In a moment that has shaken the Oklahoma softball community and inspired thousands across the country, former Sooners superstar Lauren Chamberlain did something no one expected—she gave away her 2013 national championship ring to a teenage fan fighting for his life.
The emotional exchange took place last weekend at a private Sooner fan event in Norman, where Chamberlain was making an appearance alongside other OU legends. Among the crowd was 13-year-old Jayden Reese, a diehard Oklahoma softball fan from Tulsa who has been battling osteosarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of bone cancer.
Jayden, wearing a custom crimson jersey with “ALO 78” on the back, had one wish when he met Chamberlain: a photo and an autograph. What he left with instead was a story that has since gone viral across social media.
“I looked at him, and I saw a fighter,” Chamberlain said, wiping away tears in a short interview. “He reminded me of the fight it took to win that title. But what he’s going through is far bigger than any game I ever played.”
Witnesses say Chamberlain asked Jayden if he’d ever held a championship ring. When he said no, she took hers off her finger, placed it in his hands, and said, “Now you have one. You’re the real champion.”
Photos of the moment—Jayden crying into his mom’s shoulder while clutching the ring—have been shared more than 480,000 times on Facebook alone. Former teammates like Keilani Ricketts and Sydney Romero commented on the post, calling it “the most Sooner thing ever.”
Jayden’s mother, Elena Reese, posted a message the next morning:
“Lauren didn’t just give Jayden a ring—she gave him a reason to keep fighting. We’ll never forget what she did. Boomer Sooner forever.”
Lauren Chamberlain, who remains one of the most iconic names in college softball history, is no stranger to giving back. But fans say this gesture goes beyond the field.
“Championship rings are sacred in sports,” one commenter wrote. “To give one away? That’s a legacy of love.”
In the days since, fans have rallied behind Jayden, creating hashtags like #RingForJayden and #SoonerStrong, and raising over $70,000 on GoFundMe to support his treatments.
The University of Oklahoma released a short statement calling Chamberlain’s act “a reflection of the character we hope every Sooner athlete carries with them beyond the diamond.”
As for Jayden? He says he sleeps with the ring beside his bed.
“I’m not scared anymore,” he told local news. “Lauren believed in me. So I’ll keep fighting—like a Sooner.”
