In October 2010, 3-year-old Axel was diagnosed with leukemia – turning the lives of the Zirbes family upside down for the next three years. The first signs something could be going on started a few weeks before the diagnosis. Axel’s mom Justine noticed her son was not acting like his usual self and always wanted to stay by her side. At the time, Justine was seven months pregnant with twins and thought Axel might’ve just wanted to spend more time together before the twins arrived. But as the weeks went by, things kept getting worse.
Concerning symptoms
On a Friday in late October, Axel’s daycare provider called Justine to inform her that Axel did not want to walk or play with other kids his age. Instead, he preferred riding in the wagon with the babies. The daycare provider also mentioned Axel was starting to look pale compared to the other kids. It was at this moment that Justine knew it was time to take Axel into the pediatrician.
Getting the diagnosis
Justine rushed Axel to the Children’s Minnesota Partners in Pediatrics – Maple Grove Clinic, where blood work showed that Axel had low hemoglobin and a high white blood cell count.
Justine remembers the primary care provider telling her, “It’s probably leukemia or a tumor, and you need to go to Children’s Minnesota right now. I’ve already called them and they’re expecting you. Go straight to the emergency room.”
At Children’s Minnesota, Axel was admitted to the cancer and blood disorders unit for further evaluation and treatment.
Justine goes into preterm labor
In the middle of this, Justine started having regular contractions. The overwhelming stress of the situation triggered her to go into preterm labor. She had to be rushed next door to Abbott Northwestern hospital for treatment and medication that thankfully stopped the contractions.
The following day the family got the official diagnosis: Axel had acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Treatment started immediately, and Axel received his first chemotherapy that evening. Children’s Minnesota would eventually become a second home to the Zirbes family.
Leukemia treatment
Five weeks into treatment, Axel developed a fever, and Justine went into labor on the same weekend. This meant the family had to split up. Axel and his dad, Brian, came to Children’s Minnesota. While Justine went to a different hospital to give birth to twins. Axel’s older brother Carter went to stay with grandma.
“We were just spread to the wind, and I remember thinking, what is Christmas going to be like. This was a nightmare,” said Justine.
Thankfully, everyone was back home by Christmas, and outside of appointments, Axel only had one other major hospitalization during his leukemia treatment. It was during what is known as the consolidation therapy phase. During this phase, a new drug was added into the treatment plan. However, Axel’s body could not metabolize it as fast as it should have and that led to him having a bad reaction to the new drug.
Once Axel’s body was able to completely metabolize the drug, his care team came up with a new plan to help him recover more quickly from subsequent treatments.
Finding moments of joy in the journey
Despite his leukemia, Axel was able to find happiness and moments of joy throughout his treatment.
Even before his diagnosis, Axel was known to always carry around little green army toy soldiers and a Spiderman action figure. Of course, Axel always brought these with him when he came in for treatment.
During one of his clinic visits, Axel and his nurse decided to send a couple of his toy soldiers down with his blood sample to ensure it got to the lab safely. This started a tradition that would last until his very last chemotherapy appointment in early 2014 – when Axel was officially in remission.
What the Zirbes family didn’t know was that staff in the lab were collecting the toy soldiers every time they arrived. At the last appointment, their nurse surprised them and took the family down to see the collection of toy soldiers in the lab.
“We went down there, and they were all lined up on top of a counter. It was really cool, and I wondered how long they stayed there,” recalled Justine.
From toy soldiers to real service
This year, Axel graduated from high school – and as it turns out, he’s joining the U.S. Army! Serving in the military has always been a dream for Axel, inspired by his lifelong fascination and love of the little green toy soldiers that he used to carry around. Though his medical history once made this goal seem impossible, last year brought encouraging news: since it’s been so long since he’s had cancer, it should not affect his chances of joining the military.
Reflecting on Axel’s journey and his remarkable resilience, Justine offered words of encouragement for other families navigating similar challenges.
“Just know that their future is going to be as bright as any other medically typical child. The same opportunities are open to them and there’s nothing that can limit them. If they have the drive and the will to realize their dreams, then they will. You know, kids are resilient. They come back from the hardest of circumstances and Axel is proof of that,” shared Justine.
