San Antonio Spotlight: Jaxon’s F.R.O.G. Foundation

Jax-Flower

There are people who come into your life whom you don’t ever forget. Their smiles are etched in your mind long after they’re gone from view. You get a fuzzy warm feeling inside just thinking about them. You know you are a better person for knowing them.

Jaxon Davis is one of those people.

At the six-week ultrasound, his parents were fascinated by their baby’s heart beating. It was the first thing they fell in love with. Little did they know just how special this heart would be.

Jaxon came into the world on May 23, 2007. Everyone who laid eyes on him immediately adored him. His smile was big and contagious. Wherever he went, an aura of joy surrounded him. Jaxon was an active boy, exploring and loving every minute of life.

Jaxon had a seizure when he was three-and-a-half years old. This took everyone by surprise. Doctors diagnosed him with epilepsy and started medication. However, the seizures did not stop. Three months and several hundred seizures later, doctors revealed Jaxon had a brain tumor. The Davis family was heartbroken, as were their family and friends. Although they were discouraged, they had hope that God would heal Jaxon and use their situation for good.

After considering their options, the Davis family decided they would move to Houston for seven months to provide Jaxon the best treatment possible. Family and friends far and wide prayed for complete healing for Jaxon. The Davis family received donations, meals, gift cards, and toys for the hospital. God provided every need during this hard time.

During his treatment, Jaxon looked to God for strength. Joshua 1:9 in the Bible says:

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

This became Jaxon’s motto. He knew he could be strong and courageous with God’s help. Jaxon went through the treatments, no matter how tough. He wouldn’t give up. He was always brave and ready for the next thing.

While Jaxon was at the hospital, he saw a need. Other children with cancer were struggling, too. Sometimes they weren’t as brave or courageous as he was, and he hurt for them. He wanted to lift their spirits and bring smiles to their faces. Soon Jaxon was more interested in helping others than he was in himself. On hard days, helping and encouraging others was what helped him get past his own pain and frustration.

He began raising money to help kids in the hospital. He used the money to buy toys, stuffed animals, pillows, and other items to encourage other kids struggling with cancer. He loved helping others! Jaxon’s heart of gold didn’t stop there. He continued helping and giving to kids with cancer, was recognized by the Pay it Forward Foundation, and became the third inductee into their hall of fame.

Sadly, Jaxon’s cancer returned. Even when it became clear that treatment was ineffective, Jaxon never got discouraged. He continued to raise funds to shop for toys for other kids battling cancer. He never stopped caring for others.

Jaxon passed away on November 25, 2012. Although Jaxon’s cancer was not healed, his parents have hope in God and believe he is healed in heaven.

Even from heaven, Jaxon’s heart of gold continues to touch lives. His parents, Lenzie and Cory, have formed Jaxon’s F.R.O.G. Foundation, a nonprofit organization that continues his ministry of spreading smiles to kids with cancer. Jaxon’s favorite animals were frogs, and the acronym “Fully Rely On God” is a perfect fit. The foundation provides welcome bags for kids arriving for radiation treatment, treats families to outings away from the hospital environment, and delivers smile bags to kids at the hospital clinic. It also invests in childhood cancer research and has sponsored a playroom at the hospital to brighten the days of these young warriors.  

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and gold is the color of childhood cancer. I’d like to encourage all of you to “go gold” in memory of Jaxon and in honor of so many other childhood cancer warriors. If Jaxon could see beyond his own battle for his life to bring joy to others, certainly we can all do something to brighten the dark days of children fighting cancer.

You can learn more about Jaxon and the foundation at www.jaxonsfrogfoundation.com or follow them at www.facebook.com/teamjaxonfrog.

Denisse
Denisse grew up in the South Texas border town of Mission, where she met her best friend and future husband, Ian. After going to college at Texas A&M University, she and Ian were married and moved to San Antonio, where she worked as a preschool special education teacher. She loved her job but decided her heart was at home after having her first baby. Two more children and 12 years later, she still loves being married to Ian and being a stay-at-home mom to their three kids. Denisse loves coffee and taking naps. She writes at denissewarshak.com.