“Axel is the happiest two and a half year old on the planet. He has many disabilities but he never lets them get him down.”

Axel was born 6/20/16 with congenital CMV (cytomegalovirus). CMV is a common and preventable cold like virus that is most prevalent in children under three, as they are most likely to share germs. CMV is rarely a cause for concern in children and adults. However, if a women catches CMV while pregnant and she has never had CMV before, it can cause many issues for the fetus including, just to name a few, brain damage, liver failure, vision loss, hearing loss, and sometimes death.

Due to Axel being born with congenital CMV his disabilities include bilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss, optic nerve hypoplasia, malformation of the brain, calcifications on the brain, PMG, microcephaly, global developmental delay, motor delay, feeding tube, Cochlear implants, hyperekplexia, GERD, and spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy. He is wheelchair dependent.

This WOD, created by Jeanette Stambaugh of Yorkville CrossFit @crossfitykv (Yorkville, IL, USA), was designed for a fundraising event put on by the gym to help Axel’s family purchase a handicap accessible van. Axel’s father, Adam Johnson, shared this workout and the photo (of Axel and him) with us.

Significance:
– 1 Burpee: It takes one simple blood test to help prevent CMV
– 9 Box Jumps: How many therapists Axel sees each week
– 11 Sit Ups: The total number of specialists Axel has
– 12 Wall Balls: How many diagnosis’s Axel has due to CMV

His family is dedicated to CMV awareness and education. For more information on CMV or to see Axel’s progress visit their blog on Facebook: “Axel’s Journey With CMV.”