Jaxson's Journey

This GoFundMe is being started mostly in consideration of the four Dreiling boys and keeping them as normal of a life as possible through these trying times. One way to keep the normalcy is to keep the standard of living as close to the same as possible. With Kate honorably stepping away from teaching to care for Jaxson and bills starting to hit hard, this is the best way we can think to help at this time. This fundraiser is organized with the permission of the Dreiling family…although they were a little reluctant. Here is Jaxson’s story below.

Jaxson is like most ten-year-old boys. He loves gaming on Fortnite, spending time with his family, and has a deep love for all animals. Jaxson is the most selfless child. He is always worried about others feelings and oftentimes puts himself last. This is a very unique characteristic that a lot of children do not have. Jaxson is most proud of his family. He is so proud of his daddy who is a local first responder. He is so proud of his mom and that she worked at his school. Jaxson loves participating in everything that his brothers participate in. He is often known as their biggest fan.

Jaxson has always been smaller in size compared to his peers. After many years of asking questions as to why he was so small, his mother took him to be evaluated at Cardinal Glennon Children’s hospital by an endocrinologist. The endocrinologist ran a variety of tests and then Jaxson was sent home to wait for the test results. Jaxson’s parents received a call on January 4, 2022 that Jaxson’s lab work showed an elevated renal panel. They were immediately referred to the nephrology team at Cardinal Glennon. The nephrology team quickly ordered more tests and later ordered a kidney biopsy. On January 11, 2022, Jaxson had a kidney biopsy and then on January 12, 2022 the doctors determined that Jaxson had stage 4 chronic kidney disease. The treatment plan included stabilizing Jaxson’s kidney function and persevering the kidney function that he has. However, the ultimate fix to this situation is a kidney transplant.

The diagnosis has been so hard on the Dreiling family. To start, Jaxson has had a hard time understanding why this is happening to him and has had to be homeschooled due to his immune system being compromised. His mother, Kate, had to step down from her position at a local elementary school, leaving his father, Ryan, working extra shifts in order to make ends meet. Jaxson also has three brothers who are worried about their brother and what the outcome will be. Jaxson’s brothers have had to miss school, sports and cancel plans when things change and Jaxson has to be admitted to the hospital.

Over the last few months, Jaxson’s family has been through a lot and the financial stress of all the medical bills is taking a toll on them. Currently, Jaxson is seeking care at Cardinal Glennon as his kidney function is quickly declining. Each day it seems there is a new twist to Jaxson’s medical journey, which adds stress and worry to the already heartbreaking situation. Ryan is a firefighter and lives in a neighborhood with many other firefighters who all have children as well. We as a group of Fire Dads want to do anything we can to make life just a little easier for one of our own fire families. This fundraiser is the best way we can think to do it. We love you Dreilings and will continue to be here for you and support you.