Our son, Saxon, suffered a cardiac arrest following heart surgery at 13 mths old. This left him with an acquired brain injury, reverting back to newborn status on a neurological level.

We, Saxon's family, set up this page to invite people to be a part of our son's recovery and give them the opportunity to follow his progress.

We are dedicated to gaining as much of our son's ability back as possible. We leave no stone unturned in our search for ways to improve our boys life. With a lot of perseverance and love,  he is progressively regaining control of his body.

You can follow his progress on his Facebook page:  www.facebook.com/LoveforSaxon

Donate towards Saxon's recovery by clicking the 'DONATE NOW' button.

Saxon's Story

I was born in June 2012, went through the usual milestones of ones first year of life, running amok by 12mths and into everything.

I was diagnosed with a CHD which required surgical intervention at the age of 13mths. I protested when mom put me down on the operating table, all the faces around the bed scared me, so I yelled until the general anesthetic kicked in. During recovery I went into cardiac arrest which led to emergency open heart and left me with an aquired brain injury.

The following months were filled with fear, pain, frustration, and confusion having lost control of most of my body. I've had to recoordinate my eyes, learn to swallow, even how to cry again.

The first 9 months were really hard on Mom and Dad and myself. They needed time to find their feet as parents again. I started smiling then laughing and life became much more enjoyable for all of us.
2 years on, my eyesight, hearing and other senses have improved immensely. The hard work we put every day as a family, sees continuous progress in my rehabilitation and development.

I'm a typical 3 year old boy when it comes to demanding attention and pushing the boundaries!! I love music, water and rough play. Even after a brain injury of my calibre, I'm still a mini adrenalin junkie.

Dad quit work and Mom works shift work to allow enough time to do an intensive therapy program we started a year ago. A whole team of therapists and specialists are involved in monitoring my progress and ranges in my hips, feet & other joints. My program means my parents need helpers to perform some of the exercises, we're going to need outside help to do this consistently.

I still need a nasal gastric tube to ensure I have enough food and fluids as my oral intake has not quite caught up yet. On top of my specific nutritional diet, my parents are consulting a dietitian and speech therapist to get me tube free!

My progress over the last year has meant I will now benefit from having a special feeding chair as well as other progressive equipment. I wear  Ankle Foot Orthotics (AFO's) to support and maintain my feet and use a standing frame. Also, a special suit which helps maintain my posture. My age means I'm going to constantly grow out of equipment and aids.

As I am a growing boy with an uncertain future, my parents must plan ahead to some extent and my muscle tone means we've already had to buy a bigger car which can later be modified, if necessary.
The brain is such an amazing organ. No doctor would dare tell me how much I can recover because they know with the brain, anything's possible.

To help support me on my journey

• Sponsor our team for the annual Riverwalk Event by pressing the "DONATE NOW" button on my webpage and receive an automatic tax deductible receipt. You can read about the event and register at http://www.developingfoundation.org.au/upcoming-events.html

• You could help bring more sponsorship for our team through participation at the Annual Riverwalk event by collecting donations on our behalf using pre-printed receipts supplied by The Developing Foundation Inc.

• Grow our support network by sending this page to your family, friends, colleagues and anyone else you can think of and invite them to donate.
  Helping our team with practical things and support.

• All donations of $2 or more are tax deductible. The Developing Foundation commits the proceeds of the funds raised to these unmet needs.

If you have a question for our team please call or email, contact details below.

My family and I are forever grateful for every cent and every message of support. It will make worlds of difference to my life.
Thank you.
Saxon, Candy and Mark

https://www.facebook.com/LoveforSaxon
loveforsaxon@gmail.com