CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wis. (WLAX/WEUX) - Jaxon Robert Hunter died in a Minneapolis hospital eight years ago, holding his father's hand. It's a day his dad, Nate Leidl, will never forget. "The story with Jaxon is that he was assaulted at his daycare and passed away from those injuries two days later. He passed away on November first, 2018"
Nor will he soon forget the support from the community that came after. "A lot of people that I knew, people I didn't know, people I haven't seen for years, people that never met Jaxon, people that never even had the opportunity to see him, strangers, neighbors, the outpouring of support I received was a big part of recovering."
That support pushed Nate to create Win 4 Jax, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting parents going through the same nightmare he did. "The idea is to lift the spirits of families that are in similar situations. To show the same kind of support that I received. A pay it forward kind of deal."
One of the main ways they support parents is by gifting a crystal with the child's name, birth and death dates, and even a picture.
The name Win-4-Jax came before Nate even thought about creating the organization. "About a week after he passed away, one of my friends posted that the Minnesota Vikings should get a hashtag Win4Jax, and that's where the name comes from, Win4Jax. We were Viking fans. We watched the Viking games on Sundays, that was how we spent our time."
The name has a special meaning. Nate says that it shows that a win for any child victim of a crime is also a win for Jaxon. "I would prefer that we didn't have to exist, I would prefer no child victims of crime, but at the same time, I understand that there are, and this is our way of paying it forward and helping someone through that grieving process."
The assault that led to Jaxon's death happened three days before he passed away. Nate was by his side, without sleeping, for over 60 hours.
He won't forget those hours, or the roller coaster of emotions he experienced at the hospital, or the overwhelming turnout at Jaxon's funeral. He hopes the name of the organization ensures that you won't forget Jaxon's name. "It's more so a way of keeping his memory alive. He was only on earth for six months, hopefully by doing this organization, we will make a lasting impression, and his name will carry on for many years."
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