Braylon Davis

#BraveLikeBraylon

Braylon is a 10-year-old boy from Albany, Oregon, who has been fighting for survival since the moment he entered this world.

From his first breath, something was clearly wrong. His skin was an alarming shade of yellow, and his tiny body was struggling to keep up. Doctors placed him under intense light therapy for days, but the jaundice wouldn’t improve. His hemoglobin dropped to dangerously low levels, and at just 5 weeks old, he needed his first blood transfusion to stay alive.

Those early months were a blur of fear, hospital stays, and unanswered questions. Braylon’s parents spent more time by his bedside in the children’s hospital than they did at home. Nurses drew vial after vial of blood as doctors searched desperately for answers. But every test came back inconclusive. Because donor blood from his transfusions remained in his system, the genetic testing they needed had to wait until he was six months old.

Three agonizing months later, when Braylon was nine months old, his family finally had an answer: Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency (PKD). This rare, incurable genetic disorder causes his red blood cells to break down far faster than his body can replace them, leading to severe anemia and life-threatening complications. PKD is a lifelong battle; there is no cure, only treatments to keep him alive.

His mom said, "That moment was both devastating and a relief, devastating to learn he would face a lifelong medical battle, but a relief to finally have a name for what we had been fighting since birth."

Since that day, Braylon’s life has been defined by medical interventions. He has endured hundreds of transfusions, multiple surgeries, the placement and removal of ports, a liver biopsy, gallbladder removal, and countless hospital visits. Every three weeks, without fail, he must receive donor blood just to survive.

Yet despite it all, Braylon is a bright, compassionate boy with a love for math, playing with friends, and rattling off sports facts that would impress even the biggest fans. But living with PKD means missing school events, canceling family trips, and sitting on the sidelines when his energy runs out.

His mom shared something that hits home; it’s something nobody is ever prepared for. But for families who share this same journey? Every single day feels like this. Like when your entire life is put on hold, and each day becomes a fight you never imagined you’d face.

"His diagnosis has shaped our lives in many ways. We plan around his transfusion schedule every three weeks, manage school based on his energy levels, and are always ready to pivot when his health needs change. It’s meant missing events, school, canceling trips, and sometimes watching him sit out activities he wishes he could join. But it has also taught us to slow down, cherish the good days, and find joy in the small things."

His family has learned to plan life around transfusion schedules, hope for stable lab results, and take nothing for granted.

We are on a mission to raise $6,500 to send Braylon and his family on a once-in-a-lifetime DREAM TRIP to Disney World and Give Kids The World. This is our chance to help them step away from transfusion schedules, hospital walls, and the relentless cycle of treatments, and instead fill their days with laughter, wonder, and moments that feel limitless, even if only for a while, when the world becomes bigger than his illness and the days are measured in memories, not medical charts.

Let’s make Disney happen for Braylon!

Donate Now