LONGVIEW – A month ago, 2-year-old Braxton Manring of Woodland was diagnosed with a blood disorder similar to leukemia – but he’s still smiling.
“He is just a ray of sunshine,” said his great aunt Patricia Lachance. “His smile just lights up the room.”
Braxton has only been alive for 28 months, but he is already facing chemotherapy and monthlong hospital stays.
Around 70 people have responded to attend a personalized parade around Braxton’s home today to send off the toddler before he heads back to the hospital for treatment next week.
Attendees are meeting at 10:30 a.m. at the Pacific Pride gas station on Atlantic Avenue in Woodland. At 11 a.m., participants will drive cars in a roughly mile loop around Braxton’s home to spread encouragement and hope, while he and his family stand outside.
“We just want to show them how much we love them,” said Lachance, who helped plan the event.
Braxton was born Nov. 20, 2018, after parents Jennifer Davidson and Tyler Manring struggled to conceive, said Davidson.
She said Braxton was diagnosed with Down syndrome after birth, which “was a little stressful in the beginning, but became our biggest blessing.”
“We would not change any of that, for anything,” she said.
Braxton loves to interact with others, dance, listen to the children’s music group the Wiggles, fist bump and high-five. That hasn’t changed since his diagnosis, said Davidson, who called her son “resilient and strong.”
“He is so happy all the time, regardless of what he’s going through,” she said. “It’s kind of hard to feel sad all the time around him.”
It was last January when the new mother noticed red spots spreading across Braxton’s skin. She was advised to have Braxton’s blood evaluated but had to wait until labs reopened. The next day, Braxton had grown lethargic, and wouldn’t eat or drink.
His parents rushed him to the emergency room, and hours later he was diagnosed with a type of myelodysplastic syndrome, a blood cell disorder similar to leukemia that is treated with chemotherapy. Down syndrome patients have a high risk of developing these disorders.
“Me and his dad were both obviously pretty devastated,” said Davidson. “It kind of felt like this isn’t real life, but here we are living it.”
Braxton has returned from his first of six rounds of chemotherapy, said Davidson, just in time to watch Saturday’s parade. On Tuesday, Davidson and Braxton return to the hospital for treatment and expect to stay about a month.
His father will visit after work and on weekends, while Davidson will stay the entire time. Few others can visit due to restrictions to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, she said.
But Saturday, the family can forget about the impending separation and treatment – at least for a little while.
“I’m just completely humbled by people’s kindness,” said Davidson. “I’m sure he’ll love to see everybody driving by and waving at him. He’s a very social kid.”
