At age 30, Carley Swanson has had enough life experiences that “I very much feel that whatever is thrown my way, I can handle it. I can figure it out.”
That confidence is hard-earned, because Carley has never been handed anything in her life, though she would disagree.
“Everything with my son, Jaxxen, has been pretty great. Being his mom is the best part of my life,” she said.
Most recently, Jaxxen, age 5 and a kindergartner, was diagnosed with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, a neurological disorder that affects the arms and legs, after spending almost six months for hospitalizations and extensive therapy recovering from two episodes of Guillain-Barré syndrome.
Jaxxen spent March and April at Children’s Mercy in Kansas City. The two then lived in a Ronald McDonald House from May to September, while he underwent therapy. Such homes provide free accommodation for families who otherwise cannot afford to accompany their loved ones while they undergo treatment.
As a single mother, it was up to Carley to be her son’s primary support while he was undergoing extensive therapy five days a week. As a result, she lost her job.
When she applied for unemployment benefits, she was denied.
Carley appealed.
“I told them I couldn’t leave my 5-year-old son up in the city with strangers,” she said. “They didn’t seem to understand the problem. Seems taking care of your sick child is no reason to miss work.”
She never saw a cent in state aid.
After that, “I kind of wallowed in bleakness for a little bit,” she said. “But one morning I told myself I need to think about this hardship in a different way. That it’s setting Jaxxen and me up for better things and that it’s going to turn him into a really caring and empathetic person.”
“He’s going to remember this experience for the rest of his life, and I want it to be something that makes him an amazing individual. He’s already relearned to walk. There’s nothing he can’t do.”
You see it too, right?
When things get crazy, Carley’s can-do attitude takes control.
“Yep, I’m very much an optimist,” she said.
