Student’s senior project supports organization that once supported him

AMMON – A student has decided to use his senior project as an opportunity to give back to an organization that gave to him in his time of need.

Jay Paxton Purser, a senior at White Pine STEM Academy, launched a toy drive on Nov. 1 to benefit the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) Family Room at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center (EIRMC). For Paxton, doing this for his senior project is personal, as he benefited from RMHC when he was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2018.

The way he sees it, providing children with toys is a good way to keep their spirits up.

“When you’re in the hospital, it gets really boring and sometimes sad. You want something to do. I got really bored of just sitting there and doing nothing, and … when I had some Legos or something to play with, it definitely helped with my spirits,” Paxton said.

Paxton was 10 years old when he received his diagnosis, and he didn’t fully understand what was going on, but his mother, Catherine Purser, did.

“It was a little bit scary. No, actually, it was a lot a bit scary, let’s be honest. (It’s) every mother’s worst nightmare,” Catherine said.

The doctor at Intermountain Health Primary Children’s Hospital called and told them to check in that very same night through the emergency room.

“I remember I started to cry, which then made Paxton start to cry. And so, I knew at that point that I had to get my act together because he was feeding off of my emotions. It was overwhelming,” Catherine said.

In addition to the fear Paxton felt, long days spent at the hospital became boring.

“I had a phone at that age, but after a little bit, phone games and things like that get a little bit boring,” Paxton said.

But then he and his parents found the RMHC family room, where he found toys that he could play with to escape the day-to-day monotony. Over the course of two years, he used this room and the family room at EIRMC.

They also stayed at the RMHC house in Salt Lake City.

“(RMHC has) just been so helpful and so giving, (and) provided a safe place for us to be with people who were also experiencing hard things. (There was) a sense of community and a sense of support, when other people just didn’t really understand,” Catherine said.

Paxton underwent three major brain surgeries and two 6-week rounds of radiation. While he still has a small residual tumor, he undergoes an annual MRI and it hasn’t grown since 2020.

While Paxton thought about doing job shadowing for his senior project, he ultimately decided it was a good opportunity to provide toys for kids in the same position he was in once.

Paxton’s toy drive will last until Nov. 30, and people can drop donations off at 3934 East 49th Street at the Ammon Foothills Stake Center, or at 4402 East 65th Street. In addition to collecting new, unopened toys, Paxton will also be collecting pop can tabs, which RMHC trades in for funding.

Some donation ideas Paxton gives are:

• Lego sets
• Board & Card Games
• Handheld Games
• Art Supplies
• Headphones or earbuds