Levi’s fight with leukemia rallies local community

For one local family, community holds an even deeper meaning this holiday season.

On Nov. 5, Levi Buxman, a 9-year-old and a third grader at Green Local Schools, was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Levi already faced a few challenges in his young life, having been born with Down syndrome.

When Levi was diagnosed, he had no major symptoms that appeared to suggest he had leukemia.

“Levi hadn’t been feeling well, but neither had I, so I just assumed we had a bug,” said Lauren Brediger Buxman, his mother and an Orrville native. “His nose was stuffy, and he was tired.

“Then that weekend, his fever got pretty spicy. I decided to take him to urgent care for influenza and to start Tamiflu. But urgent care ended up sending us to Akron Children’s Hospital ER because his heart rate was elevated as well.”

Once at Akron Children’s, things escalated quickly, and after some blood work, doctors came out to deliver the news no parent ever wants to hear: your child has leukemia.

“I felt like I was dreaming,” Buxman said. “Like, I heard the words but couldn’t fully process what I was hearing. I asked to go to a room by myself to call my husband Branden, and then I absolutely lost it. ‘How is this happening? How did we get here?’”

By the time the hospital had made a diagnosis, Levi’s condition had worsened to the point that he had to be intubated due to needing help with breathing.

B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia is a type of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. It is a cancer that affects white blood cells known as B-cell lymphoblasts.

People who have B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia have too many immature B-cell lymphoblasts in their bloodstream and bone marrow that do not work correctly. As these leukemia cells increase, there are fewer healthy, mature white blood cells that fight infections and disease, red blood cells and platelets. It is the most common type of leukemia.

Levi began chemotherapy soon after his diagnosis. His treatment includes several rounds of intense chemotherapy that will stretch over two years, with the most intense period being the initial few months when Levi must be continually hospitalized.

For the Buxmans, this means some major adjustments both for them and for their two other sons, Graham, age 3, and Boyd, 1.

Branden Buxman is a commercial pilot who has to continue to work to provide for the family. Meanwhile, Lauren must split her time between hospitalized Levi and her other two boys.

Lauren can stay at Ronald McDonald House at Akron Children’s, but financially, this type of battle takes its toll on a family. The local community has rallied around Levi and family, hosting several fundraisers to assist the family through this difficult time.

Levi’s indomitable spirit and his infectious smile have captured hearts and have made his family feel very loved.

“The amount of support we have received from the community has been extremely humbling,” Lauren Buxman said. “This type of support is the biggest reason we have repeatedly chosen to stay in Wayne County.”

For information on how to help Levi and his family, visit their GoFundMe page: https://www.gofundme.com/f/levi-buxmans-leukemia-fight.