Jaxxen Oakman, age 5, really wanted a dog.
So while he was visiting his father in Topeka during spring break, mom Carley Swanson gave into temptation when she saw someone giving away German shepherd puppies outside a store. She showed the puppy to Jaxxen via a video call. He named it Big Boy, saying he was eager to meet his new best friend.
But it would be weeks before their introduction.
An emergency sent Jaxxen to the hospital. The puppy would have to wait.
JAXXEN’S father called Swanson, concerned because the boy was struggling to walk. He took him to the emergency room.
On March 14, Jaxxen was admitted to Stormont Vail Hospital. A neurologist quickly suspected Guillain-Barre syndrome, a condition where the immune system attacks the nerves. After tests, an MRI and a spinal tap, doctors confirmed the diagnosis.
Jaxxen continued to lose strength. He couldn’t walk or stand unassisted.
Guillain-Barre is very rare, with fewer than 20,000 cases diagnosed in the U.S. each year. It is believed to be triggered by a respiratory infection or gastroenteritis, better known as food poisoning. There is no cure and treatment can take years, although most people are able to walk again six months after symptoms begin. Treatment can speed recovery and reduce the severity of the illness.
The illness usually begins with a “pins and needles” sensation in fingers and toes, quickly followed by a weakness in the legs that spreads to the upper body. In some cases, it can lead to paralysis and difficulty breathing. Symptoms seem to peak after about two weeks.
Swanson said Jaxxen had strep throat a couple of weeks before symptoms began. She wonders if that’s what triggered Guillain-Barre.
Jaxxen was fortunate to be diagnosed so quickly, Swanson said. Even so, they faced a few scary moments.
The boy’s oxygen levels dropped dangerously low the first few days.
On Day 4, Swanson noticed the right side of his face was drooping. A doctor confirmed: nerves controlling outer facial muscles
been affected. He had trouble swallowing and was put on a liquid diet.
On his 11th day, he was transferred to Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City for an in-patient therapy program. 
WEEKS of hospitalization wore on the entire family.
Swanson stayed with Jaxxen, sleeping in the room.
