Jaxson Bauer’s smile is hard to miss—it’s big, bright, and infectious. Paired with his signature fist bumps, he has a way of lighting up every room he enters, from his classroom at Aspire of WNY’s Center for Learning to the bowling alley on Tuesday nights, where he faithfully accompanies his parents to their bowling league every week. Anyone who meets Jaxson has a hard time forgetting him.
But behind his radiant smile lies a long journey marked by challenges. Jaxson’s story began with uncertainty and was filled with lots of unknowns. Born via emergency C-section, he arrived with clubbed feet, no gag reflex, and a tethered spinal cord. The doctors at Oishei Children’s Hospital were puzzled, naming him an anomaly, until further testing confirmed myotonic dystrophy, a rare disability that affects muscle strength and mobility.
The future was unclear. Jaxson’s family heard it all—the dire predictions, statistics, the cautionary tales. Some children with myotonic dystrophy don’t survive past a few weeks. Some require ventilators for life. Some rely on wheelchairs. Others, against all odds, walk. But Jaxson? He’s never been one to stick to a script!
Determined and resilient, he has always refused to let his diagnosis define him. While his legs struggle to hold him up, he’s often found using his arms to push himself upright at home. Physical therapy made one thing clear: Jaxson wants to walk. An early intervention program provided him with a “stander,” but he quickly outgrew it. His family has spent over a year and a half going back and forth with insurance for a replacement, only to be met with repeated denials.
Then came a breakthrough. A simple video, taken during a physical therapy session at Aspire of WNY’s Center for Learning, showed him upright in a gait trainer. Unlike standers, which provide passive posture support, gait trainers help people actively learn to walk. That video was enough proof for Jaxson’s family to know he was ready for more.
With insurance refusing to budge, his family knew they had to take this into their own hands. One day, his grandmother stumbled across an ad for the Trexo Gait Trainer, a robotic walking device designed for children with mobility challenges. The company— based in Mississauga, Ontario—happened to be hosting an open house in the coming weeks, so the family didn’t hesitate to pack up the car and make the trip.
The moment Jaxson strapped into the Trexo Gait Trainer, everything changed. With robotic leg attachments gently guiding his movements, he stood tall, all on his own! This was the first time his family had ever seen him like that, and it was nothing short of magic for them. Right then and there, they knew Jaxson had to have one.
But magic comes at a price. The Trexo Gait Trainer costs a staggering $45,000. Determined to make this dream a reality, the family has spent the past year fundraising—GoFundMe campaigns, football pools, anything they could think of. They’re now about halfway to their goal.
They’re making a final push with “Jaxson’s Journey to Walk,” a benefit event on March 29th at the Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The stakes are high, but so are the prizes. Raffles include a 75-inch TV, signed items from Josh Allen and Taylor Swift, and the event is coupled with a meat raffle. They hope this benefit will be the key to securing the device Jaxson needs.
Jaxson’s mom says any support helps—whether it’s a donation, a benefit ticket, spreading the word, or just prayers and well wishes.
“If people donate to this cause, they’re supporting a kid who can make you smile even on your worst day,” Jaxson’s mother says, struck with emotion. “Even with all his challenges, he’s always happy. He’s just the best kid.”