“Speak up, fight for it”: Palisade parents urge other families to advocate for their children after journey to get diagnosis

PALISADE, Colo. (KJCT) - When Mason Dixon was born, his parents knew something wasn’t right with his breathing.

Mason went through numerous doctor visits where his symptoms were dismissed as a cold or the flu. But his parents, Brandon and Kasey Dixon, knew it had to be something more serious— and they were right.

Through relentless advocation from his parents, Mason eventually saw a specialist who diagnosed the little boy with a birth defect called pyriform aperture stenosis— a narrowing of the airway in his nose that can make breathing extremely difficult.

The birth defect is rare, only affecting an estimated one in every 25,000 live births.

Now two-years-old, Mason Dixon has endured a medical coma and more than 20 surgeries— and three more procedures already scheduled. He also has to wear an oxygen concentrator while he sleeps to help him breath.

But despite all of this, Brandon and Kasey Dixon say the toddler remains a happy, courageous little boy.

“He is a wild and courageous little man,” said Brandon Dixon. “He loves cooking, fishing, helping other people. He wants to learn new things, he loves riding in his car. He loves his car shows, monster trucks.”

Brandon Dixon continued, “He just wants to be that wild boy he knows he can be, but struggles.”

Trust your instincts.

Now, the Dixons want other parents to learn from what they went through— and speak up when something doesn’t seem right.

“When he was first born, were there weekly if not multiple times a week in his doctor’s office,” said Brandon Dixon. “And all they did was testing for the flu, COVID, any kind of sickness. We told them, ‘he’s not sick, he just can’t breathe.’ His oxygen level is low for a certain reason, and they kept telling us, ‘No, its not that serious.’”

The Dixons said parents know their children better than anyone— and implored physicians to take worried parents seriously.

“If a family is telling them, ‘Hey, this is what’s going on. We were here a week ago, we went through these tests. There’s something wrong,’ to actually understand what the parents are telling them,” said Brandon Dixon. “Since we live with them everyday. We’re with them 24/7.”

Looking to the future

Mason Dixon has good days and bad days.

As he gets older, his parents hope there will be more of the good.

Brandon and Kasey hope one day that Mason will be able to do all of the things he loves without so many doctors, specialists and surgeries.

Until then, they said they will keep fighting for their son— and encourage other parents to do the same.

“If you know something’s wrong, speak up. Fight for it. Do what you need to do to get the care for your child that they deserve and need,” said Brandon Dixon. “Don’t wait for a doctor to tell you, ‘Now it’s time.’ Fight for it and make sure your kids are taken care of from day one.”

Support for the Dixons

Many of Mason Dixon’s specialists and surgeries are not on the Western Slope, so the Dixons often have to travel hundreds of miles away from their Palisade home for Mason’s care.

While a Ronald McDonald charity house has helped the family with lodging, Brandon and Kasey often have to take extensive time off work for Mason’s care. The couple also has a 10-year-old daughter, Gypsy, that they have to provide for.

For anyone interested in sending a monetary donation to the family, you can visit their GoFundMe here.