Jaxson's Story
Jaxson, 6, always wears one thing that can turn even the worst day into the best – a smile.
"Jaxson has always smiled a lot, but since coming to Shriners Children's Greenville, it shines much brighter," said his mother, Amanda.
When he was 9 months old, Jaxson was diagnosed with cerebral palsy (CP) caused by an abnormal brain bleed when he was 14 days old. CP is often described as a group of disorders that results from a disturbance to the developing brain. It often has associated health conditions related to body movement, speaking and standing.
Jaxson first became a patient at Shriner’s Children Greenville at age 2 after his family desperately sought a second opinion. “We felt that we were not doing everything we could do for Jaxson,” said Amanda. “Before Shriners Children’s, we felt like we were in the dark; we didn’t know what he needed or the possibilities he could have.”
We have a lot to offer our cerebral palsy patients, including the motion analysis center which enables us to evaluate a patient's gait and determine the very best treatment plan.
Today, Jaxson's individualized treatment plan has consisted of extensive physical therapy, bracing and surgery. The hospital's physical therapists showed Amanda how Jaxson could benefit from the use of adaptive equipment – such as a stander – giving him the ability to not only stand for the first time but even kick a ball.
"Jaxson has been able to do things we didn’t know he could do," said Amanda. “Shriners Children's gave us options that we didn’t know we had, and they helped us get what he needed.” Not only is Jaxson standing but he is also no longer in debilitating pain. “Jaxson has progressed so much, and the care he has received here is what made a difference."
Now Jaxson's favorite activities include swimming, dancing to his favorite Disney songs — and smiling.
