Le Bonheur Pumpkin Run - Jackson, TN

Run for kids like Jax

In 2019, Jax Berry was brought to Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital from Jackson, Tenn., with a stomach ulcer just two days after he was born. He was also diagnosed with laryngomalacia, a birth defect where the larynx is soft and the vocal cords can partially block the airway. The next day he had surgery for this condition and was admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

The next six months were spent traveling back and forth between Jackson and Memphis for medical care. Jax had a feeding tube for five months and underwent multiple surgeries, different therapies and sleep studies. Ultimately, he was considered a failure-to-thrive baby.

When Jax's mom Cheyenne heard Le Bonheur was opening an outpatient center in Jackson in 2018, she said it was a complete game changer. Instead of spending hours in the car, they can now schedule appointments with all of Jax’s specialists and do blood work in one day, right near home.

Jax recently turned 5, and he is thriving and enjoying pre-K.

“Looking at him now, you would not even know everything he’s been through," Cheyenne said. "We were told by multiple doctors, if you didn’t get to Le Bonheur when you did, you wouldn’t have him.”

Jax still sees several specialists – otolaryngology, gastroenterology, neurology and pulmonology — but can receive the same expert pediatric care close to home in Jackson.

Le Bonheur is proud to provide West Tennessee kids specialized pediatric care close to home. When you participate in this year’s Pumpkin Run, you are making a difference for kids like Jax.