Levi's Legion

09/09/2026

September 9, 2026

Recovery Mode.

Man, we are absolutely blown away by everyone that came out to celebrate Levi with us on Sunday! We are guessing at least 150 people joined us to celebrate on an evening with absolutely PERFECT weather. We really couldn't have asked for a better evening!

Levi was absolutely thrilled to show off his new pool and have so many friends swim with him and play on his swing set! He was thrilled to also have ALL of the meats and is still happily chowing on leftovers 🤣

We were humbled by everyone who helped out with the party (we owe a huge thanks to our parents, siblings and some really incredible friends for helping us pull this off ❤️). We were also humbled by the number of Green Local School staff that came to celebrate Levi while simultaneously dealing with the sudden loss of a staff member and her organ donation honor walk that evening. This community is so special and we are so grateful to be a part of it. The kids were worried that we would have to move when Branden lost his job but you can't force us away from here- this is our village and we can't imagine trying to find anything remotely close to it elsewhere.

So thank you again to all of you who have stood by us since that fateful day in 2023. I will never find enough words to express how grateful we are for each of you and we can't throw enough parties to thank everyone appropriately.

This isn't the end of Levi's Legion. The kid is still doing big things and we are working on ways to give back and help other families. I will continue to update this page because even in the next several months, Levi is being featured in a local magazine and is possibly going to be an honored guest at a gala or two 😉. Plus, we can never stop speaking up about childhood cancer. We hope you stick around to see what we are up to. ❤️

09/04/2026

September 4, 2026

Just three days away and Levi is BOUNCING off the walls excited! And we are too (well as much as we can bounce after working our tails off prepping for everything the last two weeks 🤣).

The weather looks like it's going to be perfect!

Couple things to remind of:

- The party is open house style - come any time starting at 4 and stay as long as you'd like!

- The pool will be open and a life guard watching from 4-7. The water is warm and Levi wants kids to to swim with him!

- our address is 5841 Canal Rd, Wooster. This is a country road so please be aware of ditches that may be deeper than they appear 🙈.

See you all soon!

08/30/2026

August 30, 2026

ONE WEEK!

There's one week until Levi's "Meat Party" bash and he wakes up every morning asking if today is the day 🤣. He is so excited to party it up with everyone and so are we! Join us anytime starting at 4 pm - it's open house style and will go as late as people want to hang out!

So far the weather is looking good so we plan to have the pool open (with certified lifeguards AND I'll make sure the heater is on 🤪), yard games and of course all the BBQ Levi has missed out on!

Please don't feel like you shouldn't attend - if you have prayed for us or helped us out in ANY way over the last three years, PLEASE know that you are invited. We are so grateful for how our people have loved and cared for us over the last three years and we want to be able to thank you and feed you - it's really the least we can do ❤️

So get ready! One week until we feast and party! Will you be there?!? 🙌

08/22/2026

August 22, 2026

Two weeks until the "Meat Party!" 🤣🙈. Are you coming? Please let us know - we would love for you to join us!

This weekend ends the first full week of MIDDLE SCHOOL for Levi- I'm not quite sure where time went! He was so excited to go and so far has loved it, especially science and STEM class (science is his favorite subject). Our school district is incredible and is doing a really cool hybrid setup for Levi that's custom just to him that we are all really excited about. We are so grateful for our school!

Graham also started first grade and is loving it. He's incredibly social, just like Levi 🤣, and thrives around people. He really missed school over the summer and was bouncing off the walls excited to go back even though we had a fun summer.

I'll have to make a separate post about summer because Levi got to do a lot of things that he LOVES but missed out on during treatment like swimming in the ocean and Torch Lake. It was so beautiful to see him one with the water again just being a kid. He fought hard to be here and I'm so grateful he's back to doing the things he loves ❤️

But back to his party- please let us know! We have tents rented, lifeguards lining up for the pool and big plans for all the meat! Levi is so excited and is telling everyone about it 🤣

And yes, Graham's back to school sign DOES say one of his favorite things is Big Mouth Billy Bass. Yes, that IS the weird singing fish plaque that was a fad 20+ years ago. No, we don't have one but he recently discovered these were a thing and is obsessed. I love my weird kids🙈🤣

08/16/2026

August 16, 2026

Twas the night before the first day of school (or “School Eve” as Graham is calling it) and its time for my annual Back to School PSA: Be Kind.

There’s this funny thing about kindness, it costs you absolutely nothing but it can 100% change someone else’s day and I’m willing to bet that no one has ever felt bad about themselves for being kind. I really see no downside to being kind. It honestly just makes sense.

Kindness doesn’t always feel “cool” in the moment and sometimes it just feels easier to ignore someone or worse be rude or cruel. It’s important that we CHOOSE kindness to those around us so we model it for our kids. Kids are watching us, even in this day in age when they’re glued to their screens. They still see us. They see the way to talk to them and other people and it’s shaping how they treat others. Be a good person.

It’s important to talk to our kids about treating others with kindness, even those who feel hard to be kind to. Teach them that even a smile and hello go a long way for the person that feels invisible. Teach them that every person is a human and deserves to be treated as such. Teach them that we are all the same despite what we make think are differences – we all want to be seen and known.

I get it, some days it’s hard – I KNOW hard, I’ve been there (still there? TBD). We’re all going through our own things but kindness should still be non-negotiable. It’s completely free and might even turn your day around too. Even if it doesn’t, ya know who is going to appreciate it? The person you showed kindness to. So as we start a new school year, let’s remember to be kind and teach our kids to do the same. Smile and say hi to the kid that doesn’t have many friends in the hallway. Invite someone that normally eats lunch alone to sit with you. Hold the door open for someone. You never know what those little things will do to make someone feel seen. And everyone wants to be seen.

Be kind. You’ve got this.

07/23/2026

July 22, 2026

Look who made it to the FRONT PAGE of the Akron Beacon Journal today! We are so thankful for ABJ and Lauren Cohen continuing to share Levi's story of bravery, hope, advocacy, and inclusion.

We are so grateful for this summer of just being a kid and it's not lost on us how fortunate we are as many kids don't get that chance again. We will never stop talking about childhood cancer and the importance of continuing to do better for our children.

Stay tuned for some more pictures of Levi doing regular 12 year old boy things over the next few weeks ❤️

One day at a time.

Since completing treatment for leukemia in March, Levi Buxman is learning how to be a kid again — and advocating on Capitol Hill while he’s at it.

07/04/2026

July 4, 2026

Happy birthday, USA!

Last year, the littles and their cousins ran a kids firecracker race at the crack of dawn on July 4th and loved it. Levi and I cheered from the sidelines because even though he was much healthier than the previous 4th of July (that he was hospitalized for), he was still taking daily chemo and was VERY sensitive to the heat.

Fast forward to this year, the littles and cousins wanted to sign up again, each VERY confident they were going to win the whole thing 🤣. I was pretty sure I knew Levi's answer but asked him anyway if he wanted to run to which he replied "uh, NO." I mean, kid comes by it honestly - Mama ALSO hates running. And running first thing in the morning in a sauna? Hard pass. Well, joke's on me...

Last night at 10 pm as he was crawling into bed, Levi started talking about how excited he was to run the race in the morning. Uh, I beg your finest pardon, sir? I figured in the morning he'd get there and be all like, nah, I'm good but that....was not the case. He was so excited saying that his shoes make him fast and will blow smoke as he runs. Fantastic 😬. I quick registered him and we hit the starting line.

Was I prepared to do anything at this race but meet kids at the finish line? Nope. Was I wearing CHACOS, a skort, a hair claw and regular undergarments (IYKYK 🙈)? Yes. But away went went and thankfully my MIL took over halfway through because I assumed I would be dragging him at a walking pace through the race but that sweet boy actually jogged the entire race! People were cheering him on so he was definitely slowed by waving to everyone on the sidelines in what was clearly a parade for him but he just kept trucking along. I was fighting back tears and just wanted to tell everyone that not only was this a kid with DS that they were cheering for but that he had also just beat cancer 😭😭😭. (Am I trying not to cry while typing this? Probably.)

It's been a long few years but seeing him be a kid again helps heal me a little bit at a time. I'll never be the same, but I have hope that he will be - he is resilient and brave and out there doing big things ❤️

One day at a time.

06/06/2026

June 5, 2026...part 2!

In case you missed it, here's the piece that Lindsay Buckingham did on our experience in Washington DC this week! As always, she did an amazing job and somehow captured everything we talked about in a 30 minute interview into a wonderful piece. There's also a written article on this page below the video clip. Lindsay was once again wonderful to work with we are so thankful for her taking the time to talk with us again today and for helping share Levi's story!

Now...we sleep 😴😴😴

A Wooster boy who beat cancer spent this week in Washington, D.C., advocating for pediatric medicine and Medicaid — and made a few friends along the way.

06/05/2026

June 5, 2026

Next stop: Ohio!

We are wrapping up our first CHA Family Day experience and heading for home shortly!

We started our day with an interview with our favorite newswoman, Lindsay Buckingham, via Zoom to talk about what we've been down here doing the last few days alongside our new friend, Michael, who is part of the Government Affairs team at Akron Children's and the one who invited us this week. You can see our story air TODAY at 4 and 5 on WKYC Channel 3 - Cleveland.

One thing I didn't realize before this week is that there is a serious shortage of physcians going into pediatric medicine. The pay is lower and with medical school costs being so high, it can be a tough pill to swallow. Pediatric medicine is so incredibly important for so many reasons and it's important that it continues to exist.

After our interview, we had just a couple hours to kill so we made a quick jaunt to the Air and Space Museum. It was recently remodeled and is absolutely beautiful! The jam-packed days are catching up with Levi and as he says "my tiny legs are TIRED!" so it was just a quick blitz around a few main exhibita before heading back to the hotel to grab our bags and head to the airport.

We cannot say thank you enough to Michael and Katie from Akron Children's for inviting us along and giving us this amazing opportunity. We are so grateful and had an amazing time! Levi is doing big things!

06/05/2026

June 4, 2026

The Buxmans took on Capitol Hill (and it's extensive tunnel system 🤣). We had a VERY jam packed day today meeting Congressmen Max Miller and Michael Rulli, Congresswoman Emilia Sykes and Senator Jon Husted as well as sitting in the Senate gallery before heading back to the hotel to party it up with the other families from across the nation and FINALLY let Levi take a dip in the pool. Priorities 🙈

Again, we are so honored and privileged to have this opportunity to share not only our story but the story of other kids we've met along the way. Levi also made sure to tell everyone about his bestie, Love Like Liam, and was all to willing to share about his love for Michael Jackson evening going so far as to moonwalk for Senator Husted 🤣. Seriously, I think we need to start a wall of fame in our house for all the famous people he has moonwalked for because not only have we done it for the news, but he's also done it for . Oh Levi, I wish I were as confident as him 🙈. In all seriousness, he did an amazing job today hanging in there and doing a LOT of walking. He's such a great kid.

Tomorrow we have an interview with Lindsay Buckingham at WKYC and then possibly seeing a few more sights before heading back to Ohio. I'm debating I whether I want to see the rollercoaster, err I mean the WWE stadium/White House situation, or if we should hit the Air and Space Museum. We will see how everyone is feeling in the morning. Levi is currently swimming with God only knows what energy he has left then it's off to bed for these new lobbyists. Hopefully I don't fall asleep poolside...it's very warm in here 🙈🤣