Jaxson's story
Carey was 22 weeks pregnant when a cyst was spotted on her baby’s neck during a routine ultrasound.
“Just hearing that is terrifying, so naturally you get on the computer and start doing your own research,” Carey says. “Which is even more terrifying, because you always go toward the worst-case scenario.”
Carey and her husband were referred to Children’s Wisconsin, where their baby was diagnosed with lymphatic malformation: A rare but benign mass of abnormal lymph vessels that can cause significant swelling, often around the head or neck.
As Carey’s pregnancy progressed, their baby’s future remained uncertain. It wasn’t clear how far the cyst had grown or whether it would impact the baby’s breathing, feeding, hearing or brain.
Carey and Nathan met with the team from the Children’s Wisconsin Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Program, who reassured them that they would be prepared to provide comprehensive care upon the baby’s arrival.
“It made us feel like we can do this, we have a plan, it’s all going to be fine,” Nathan said. When Carey went into labor, they arrived to a team of specialists ready to spring into action. Carey and Nathan welcomed their son, Jaxson, into the world via cesarean.
“There was this army of people just waiting, all with different tools and things ready to go once Jaxson was born,” Nathan remembers. “Most of the people weren’t needed, but it was a relief to see.”
Jaxson was born with a large cyst on his neck, but his vitals were good, and he passed his newborn hearing test. After a few days of monitoring in the Children’s Wisconsin Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, the family returned home to their older children and were set to monitor Jaxson closely.
Two months later, Jaxson returned to Children's for his first sclerotherapy treatment. The procedure — performed under anesthesia — involved injecting medication into the affected area to shrink the cyst on his neck. This treatment was successful and would be one of many to treat the cyst.
Jaxson has undergone 12 sclerotherapy procedures since he was born, most in his first few years of life. He went several years without any flare-ups until March 2023, when a bump emerged on his chest, and he returned to Children's for additional sclerotherapy.
“The technology at Children’s is just phenomenal, but it’s also the humans behind all of it,” Carey says. “They made it so I wasn’t dreading going in because I was terrified, and it was more of ‘Okay, we got this. We’re going to get through it.’”
Today, Jaxson and his family keep an eye out for swelling, but for the most part, the condition doesn’t impact his daily life. He’s a 9-year-old math whiz with a passion for baseball and wrestling, Carey says, and he makes friends with everyone he meets – including his parents’ Walmart co-workers.
Carey and Nathan are both store managers at Walmarts in southeast Wisconsin. From June 12 through July 14, 2023 their stores help raise funds for Children’s Wisconsin through Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, which raises funds for 170 children’s hospitals.
That partnership has taken on new meaning for the family as Jaxson has spent the last nine years receiving care at Children’s, as have his brothers and sister – all of whom receive the best and safest care from the doctors and caregivers at Children’s Wisconsin.
You can support Children's Wisconsin by giving at your local Walmart or Sam's Club store — valid in-store, self-checkout, or online.