Red Thursday $5 flag sales help support families through Ronald McDonald House KC

KANSAS CITY, Mo — KSHB 41 reporter Marlon Martinez covers Platte and Clay counties in Missouri. Share your story idea with Marlon.

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A Webb City, Missouri, boy has spent nearly as long fighting cancer as he has been alive — and a Kansas City Chiefs season tradition is helping support families like his.

Jaxson has been battling leukemia for 8 years — 2,920 days of ongoing treatments and counting, with nearly a decade of non-stop appointments.

But to Jaxson, cancer isn't who he is.

He loves wrestling and the Chiefs, and these days he carries a championship belt of his own.

Jeffrey Hedin

Jeffrey Hedin

Steve Silvestri

"Right after COVID I got into it and I was like, man, he's really hitting him in the head with a chair, this is fun," Jaxson said.

Chiefs players have taken notice of Jaxson's journey.

Jeffrey Hedin

"My new friend plays for the Chiefs. Kingsley Suamataia and he gave me his gloves," Jaxson said.

Patrick Mahomes also gave him a game ball — a moment Jaxson said left him speechless.

Steve Silvestri

"I felt like I was going to have a heart attack, like did this just happen, really?" Jaxson said.

Those moments matter.

But so does the support waiting for his family at the Ronald McDonald House, where Jaxson and his family have stayed off and on throughout his 8-year battle.

Steve Silvestri

"If I didn't have this kind of support, I don't know what I'm going to do," Jaxson said.

His father, Jeffrey, said the family's relationship with the Ronald McDonald House has evolved over the years.

Steve Silvestri

"We first came here for support but now we're here supporting," Jeffrey said.

That support is fueled in part by Red Thursday, a Chiefs season tradition in which $5 flags are sold to benefit the Ronald McDonald House and its mission of keeping families together during medical crises.

Steve Silvestri

"Your five dollars is part of a million and that million dollars helps families in need," a supporter said.

Ronald McDonald House KC helps thousands of families every year by providing essential services and removing barriers when children are going through medical procedures.

Hedin said Jaxson recently had a bone marrow transplant in what he hopes is the finish line in his son's fight. For Jaxson, the message for others is simple.

“Know we’re always with you and you’re strong and just keep fighting," said Jaxson.

Flags are sold at McDonald's stores across the KC metro area, as well as a few other places.

They are also available for purchase online until they sell out.
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