SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — You may not recognize them now that they’re older, but we first introduced you to Jaxon and Jeren Scheff in 2018. The two boys who were selected as the Children’s Miracle Network champions after raising thousands of dollars.
“I think it’s fun going out to do that stuff. It’s not like it’s a serious time. It’s like so it’s like we’re doing fundraisers that are fun for us too,” Jaxon said in 2018.
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Over the years, we’ve kept up with the brothers. Each of the Scheff boys suffers from a combination of rare genetic conditions that affect their breathing and eyesight.
Now, Jaxon is a teenager, and he’s not letting anything slow him down.
“I am the first guide runner, cross-country and track runner in the state of South Dakota. I wrote a argumentative essay to ask the sports board or whatever, and I had them install rules to be able to have me have a guide runner,” Jaxon said.
While his health has gotten better, he is still passionate about Sanford Children’s Castle and the Children’s Miracle Network.
“When I was younger, when I was first born, Children’s Miracle Network wasn’t a thing. I was born before all this stuff happened. And truthfully, without children’s Miracle Network, my little brother wouldn’t be here,” Jaxon said.
His little brother Jeren still has about 30 appointments a year at the Castle, and has had more than 30 surgeries in Sioux Falls alone.
“I go there is for just normal appointments. And then of course I think like every year we do just a check up to like surgery to get all the stuff out of my nose and all of that,” Jeren said.
Because of all Sanford has done to help his brother, Jaxon wrote a poem about the Castle.
“I would just like them to know that it gets better. Life has a lot to offer, and once you get through that hard time in your life, it’s truly amazing. And the support that you have from Children’s Miracle Network is truly something special,” Jaxon said.
“Don’t give up. You can make it. You can do this,” Jeren said.
Whether it’s through a poem, a news story or a cross country race, these two brothers hope to inspire other children struggling with their health.
Click here to read Jaxon’s poem.
