03/27/2026
Despite having cerebral palsy and other medical challenges, Maxon does any activity he wants. And when we say any activity, we mean any. But it wasn’t always that way.
While pregnant with Maxon, doctors told his mom, Rita, that his brain was measuring large. After birth, a scan showed that Maxon was born with half his brain and fluid buildup. In that moment, Rita and Steven, Maxon’s dad, decided they never wanted to see an image of his brain again and wouldn’t let it stop him.
“We didn’t want to equate that to what his life is going to be like,” Rita says.
While growing up in Mississippi, Maxon had multiple surgeries to relieve the fluid in his brain. Doctors also diagnosed him with cerebral palsy, or CP, a neurological disorder that affects his movement, speech and development. He started CP treatment, but Rita and Steven noticed there weren’t many activities for him, and he couldn’t participate in school like they hoped. (Or, rather, like they knew he could.) But there was an opportunity right around the corner that changed everything.
Steven’s job and his new involvement with the Colorado Buffaloes soon moved their family to Colorado. Maxon’s care had to move, too, to Children’s Hospital Colorado's Cerebral Palsy Program and Pediatric Rehabilitation Department. Here he received the thoughtful care of orthopedic surgeon Dr. Sayan De and physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist Dr. Joyce Oleszek.
Even at their first meeting, Rita and Steven noticed how our multidisciplinary care would benefit Maxon. Each department, specialist and caregiver communicated directly with them and behind the scenes to make sure Maxon got the care he needed to thrive. Our team even connected with Maxon’s school and found him activities in addition to his medical care.
“They came in and immediately had a plan,” Steven says. “They were invested in his care and growth and willingness to try stuff. Showing they had a plan for my son was a first.”
Today, Maxon’s parents say he has a busier life than anyone in the family, which wasn’t possible in Mississippi. Maxon does activities multiple days a week ranging from script writing and dancing to bowling and basketball. He’s competed in the Special Olympics three years in a row.
Maxon continues occupational and physical therapy and sees many providers across our hospital for his development. He and his siblings never miss a chance to play basketball or find ways to entertain and be there for each other. As a family, they don’t let CP stop them, either. “I can’t even explain how he’s doing half of the stuff he’s doing,” Steven says. “It changed my whole perspective on life. I don’t know where he would be without moving here.”
