Jaxon

Our son is living a healthy life — because of donors like you

Looking at happy, lovable Jaxon Miller, you would never know the mountains he has had to climb just to reach the age of two. Only the scars on his chest and body tell the story of the many battles Jaxon has waged, and triumphed over.

Jaxon was born with a serious heart condition called Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. Essentially, he was born with half a heart. Jaxon needed intensive care at HSC Children’s Hospital from the moment he was born.

His mother, Kristyn, recalls the loving care of the medical care team when they tended to Jaxon. This same care was shown to Kristyn and her husband, too.

“Our world came crashing down with the diagnosis, and knowing our baby needed surgery. The nurses and doctors were honest with us — he was very sick. And nothing we did caused this. It was devastating not to be able to hold our baby. But with the encouragement of the team, we were able to touch Jaxon before he was life flighted out at just 10 hours old.”

During the next three months, Jaxon travelled back and forth between Winnipeg and Edmonton three times. And each time he came home, the team at Children’s Hospital was ready and waiting to care for him.

One night at home, Jaxon went into cardiac arrest. He was just three and a half months old. Cardiac nurse, Amber, coached Kristyn and her husband over the phone how to perform CPR on Jaxon. Kristyn calls her “our angel.”

“Arriving at Children’s Hospital was an experience I will never forget. Over 40 people were waiting for Jaxon.”

Jaxon is now 7 years old and in Grade 2! He continues to receive care at HSC Children’s Hospital with regular visits 1-2 times a month. It’s hard to believe that his journey with the hospital began even before he was born.

He’s no stranger to many of the hospital’s departments, including cardiology, PDU, the lab, nephrology, GI, and the emergency department. We are thrilled to share that, from a heart perspective, Jaxon is doing exceptionally well. We celebrate these milestones, knowing that nothing is certain when a child’s health is at risk. We are deeply grateful for his stability.

This past year we saw the compassionate staff in the emergency department, who have always been there for us when urgent care is needed. 2024 marked more visits to the ER than usual, and every time, Jaxon has been met with exceptional care. The hospital is a safe place for him and we are grateful he sees the hospital as a place to get him better and help him.

Despite Jaxon’s stability, he does encounter some challenges in his learning, making school more difficult than for other kids his age. Thankfully, we have the right supports in place to help him reach his full potential and provide the tools he needs to succeed.

Jaxon has a passion for sports, particularly football and hockey. He loves attending live games and cheering for his favourite players, Brady Oliveira and Kyle Connor.

If he’s not watching a game, he’s playing one. He also loves playing games like Sorry and Snakes and Ladders, where his playful and jokester personality shines through.

Jaxon is a proud big brother to Annica, who is 4 years old. He takes his role as big brother very seriously, always looking out for her with a heart full of love and care.

Despite the challenges Jaxon faces, he remains an adventurous spirit. We are incredibly thankful that his strong and resilient heart allows our family to experience a somewhat “normal” life, even within the context of ongoing medical care.