On Wednesday, February 12, 2025, while at work, I received a call that my son, Daxtin, had been injured at school. I was told he had been hit in the face, resulting in his ears ringing. The nurse recommended he be evaluated. I left work to go get him. Immediately upon seeing him, I realized he was not just hit in the face; he had sustained multiple blows to the head. I could see the bruising and knots on the side of his head, his eyes were bloodshot, and his cheeks under his eyes were swollen. I was told the school could not provide a lot of information due to the confidentiality of the other student. I took Daxtin immediately to the hospital. While waiting, I started receiving the video of the fight pretty shortly after arriving at the hospital. Seeing your child go through this broke my heart far more than I could have ever imagined. Daxtin had already seen the video and was absolutely humiliated. He never once hit back; he stayed in a defensive state trying to diffuse the situation. My 17-year-old CHILD behaved more manly than most men I know. In the end, him keeping his cool did not help him too much. His jaw was broken and displaced by several mm. He still had ringing in his ears for days. He was transferred to Asheville's trauma center shortly after they got the scans back to have emergency surgery on his jaw. His jaw had to be set and his mouth completely wired shut. For two weeks, he could not even get a straw in his mouth, which also meant no pill form of medications. This has triggered a massive PTSD response in Daxtin from events prior to his adoption over ten years ago. In the last ten years we have had Daxtin, he has received many different types of therapy and orthodontic treatment (almost 4 years) that much will possibly have to be repeated. This event has completely disrupted our entire family. The physical pain and healing is a lot to absorb, but the emotional and mental aspect is even more. Daxtin is strong and resilient, so I know with time and the right resources he will be okay. The resources Daxtin is going to need will require money that we had not planned for. We are having a difficult time finding a lawyer to take the case. We do have consultations and meetings lined up, but again, these are not free services. Our main priority is to make sure Daxtin and other students feel safe at school. Bullies seem to keep the upper hand around here; consequences are minimal. Kids believing their actions have no consequences result in things like this. My husband and I have both had to miss work and will continue missing work to try to get justice for Daxtin. Daxtin’s bills will continue coming, and many food and nutrition alterations have had to be made. Things like this add up quickly. If you have read about Daxtin’s story, we sincerely appreciate you taking the time to become familiar. While we are asking for donations, we are more requesting prayers for Daxtin and our family. This road is far from over, and prayers would be greatly appreciated.