2025 Recipients
Josh Takesian
Josh Takesian, a devoted husband and father, and his wife, Amber, have two daughters, Alexis (9, third grade) and Riley (5, kindergarten), who both attend Isbister Elementary. Josh has been a valued maintenance and grounds employee for Plymouth Canton Community Schools since 2012, following in the footsteps of his now-retired father Matt, a former plant engineer at Isbister Elementary. The family enjoys shared activities such as shopping, visiting Greenfield Village and the Henry Ford Museum, and celebrating their shared love of Disney, with Alexis and Riley especially loving Bluey and Barbies.
In late October 2024, the family experienced a significant medical crisis. Amber was hospitalized with pneumonia from November 4th to 10th at Trinity Health Livonia. Shortly after, on November 6th, Josh also developed pneumonia. It was later discovered that Josh was in cardiogenic shock with respiratory failure, heart failure, and atrial fibrillation, requiring two cardioversions. He was placed on life support. Further examination revealed his left ventricle was functioning at only 15% capacity. Trinity Health implanted the first Impella device, but during the procedure, they injured his right iliac artery. This complication necessitated a transfer, with the flight team accompanying the EMS, to Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. On November 10th, a second Impella device was implanted, and the iliac artery was repaired to avoid a possible right leg amputation. On November 17th, Josh was successfully weaned from the ventilator. On November 21st, 2024, Josh received an LVAD (left ventricular assist device), essentially a mechanical heart that runs on batteries and requires wall power at night. The LVAD has drastically changed the family's life, but they are learning to adapt to this new normal. This procedure did have complications; his aortic valve collapsed, requiring emergency open-heart surgery and the replacement of his aortic valve, along with multiple blood transfusions. Josh is currently ineligible for the transplant waiting list, requiring a six-month observation period as part of a bridge-to-transplant strategy. His O-negative blood type necessitates a 3-5 year wait. Josh was transferred to a step-down unit on December 8th, where he underwent extensive physical rehabilitation, regaining mobility after a period of significant debilitation. When the girls visited Santa, they wished for their dad to come home, and receive a new heart. Josh was discharged on December 17th, just in time for the holidays. Amber described her girls as extremely resilient, helpful, and mature, dad's biggest cheerleaders. Josh said that when he finally woke up he couldn't even lift his arms. In January 2025, a bone infection resulted in another week of hospitalization. Josh currently uses a walker and wheelchair.
The SJ5K will provide crucial financial support to the Takesian family, as both parents are unable to work, and Josh’s employment income will cease in February. Ongoing medical expenses include thrice-weekly blood tests and approximately $ 100+ monthly in medication costs, even with insurance coverage. The family expresses deep gratitude for the support received from the Isbister Elementary family and Officer Andy Collective support. Together, we can help the Takesian's remain unstoppable with PERSEVERANCE.
Gabe Palazzolo
Gabe Palazzolo is an incredibly resilient seven-year-old. He attends Bird Elementary and is a big brother to Leo. The boys, along with their loving parents, April and Manny, love to spend time together. The family enjoys supporting their favorite Michigan sports teams including the Pistons, Lions, Tigers, Red Wings and Michigan State. Gabe enjoys golfing, playing baseball, riding his dirt bike, swimming in the pool, and spending time outdoors.
When Gabe was born, everything was perfect, he was developing normally and hitting milestones just like any newborn. But as time went on, subtle concerns began to emerge. April, who works in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at U of M Motts Children’s Hospital, noticed during Gabe’s first year of life that his legs were abnormally tight and he wasn’t taking the typical initiative to walk on his own. After reaching out to a physical therapist and other doctors, a long journey of therapies, MRIs, specialist appointments, procedures, and genetic testing began. Eventually, a neurologist diagnosed Gabe with Cerebral Palsy when he was just over one year old. Since then, he has lived with Spastic Diplegia, a type of Cerebral Palsy, that mainly affects his legs. Two years after his diagnosis Gabe underwent a major surgery, called Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy, which entails the surgeon to go into his spine and cut the nerves that were not functioning properly. Gabe was in the hospital for seven weeks recovering from the surgery and doing up to five hours of rehabilitation every day as the surgery put him back to stage one of having to relearn how to sit up and function all over again. Gabe shocked the doctors with his incredible recovery, which they attributed to his positive attitude and determination. The goal was for Gabe to be able to use his walker by the time he left the hospital, however after all his hard work he was able to walk short distances unassisted. Gabe’s story was such a success that it was featured on local news and in the newspaper. As Gabe has grown, multiple setbacks have arisen. Recently, Gabe was recommended for another significant surgery in November of 2024. This again left him having to re-learn how to walk and overcome several related challenges, including being in bilateral leg casts for 6 weeks. Thus, he has been in a wheelchair since surgery and has been balancing a busy schedule of school and frequent Physical Therapy with the goal of walking independently again. The Physical Therapy Program that Gabe has responded best to relocated their practice from Michigan to Florida. The Palazzolo’s have been working extremely hard to save up money to go to Florida and have access to the intensive therapy in hopes of getting Gabe back on his feet. The specialized therapy creates life-changing results and is very beneficial for long term development.
Despite Gabe not having the childhood his parents envisioned for him, he always keeps a smile on his face and never gives up. He finds his way through the hardships and is always eager to return to school and his friends after a time away. Gabe will continue to fight for his future and do so with a community behind him. Together, we can help the Palazzolo family stay unstoppable with GRIT.
Colette Woods
Colette Woods is a 7-year-old girl who attends Farrand Elementary School. Coco, as her family calls her, is loved by her parents, David and Keiko, and her older brother, Jaxson. The family also spends a lot of time with grandparents and family members. Colette loves music, reading, and playing with her dolls. Jaxson attends Detroit Catholic Central and is also on the Plymouth-Canton Cruisers swim team. They love celebrating birthdays together and spending time with loved ones as a family. The Woods occasionally enjoy a night eating out at Leo's Coney Island or Thai Ocha. Coco is a happy and fun girl with such a loving heart.
At one month old, doctors told David and Keiko that Colette was experiencing failure to thrive and referred her to a neurologist. At three months old, doctors also noticed her eyelid drooping and an ophthalmologist planned to fix it so that she would not become blind in that eye. While in the hospital for that surgery, Colette’s neurologist did an MRI of Colette’s brain, where they discovered that her brainstem had a molar tooth sign. These symptoms led doctors to diagnose her with Jouberts Syndrome at just 3 months old. Jouberts Syndrome is a rare genetic condition that causes abnormal brain development and affects all her organs. Because this condition manifests differently for each individual, limited information was available for the family about what to expect. Colette experienced very low muscle tone, struggled to eat and drink, causing her to struggle to gain weight, was unable to form words, and was unable to walk on her own. Despite the diagnosis, the family chose to remain optimistic. Colette’s brain was developing well, considering her age and condition. After COVID, Colette went in for checkups with many types of doctors to ensure all her organs were developing normally. She was released from her liver, heart, GI, and lung specialists, but she still follows up with other doctors. In 2023, she was visiting her kidney doctor where they found out Colette was experiencing kidney failure. She spent the next month in the hospital undergoing surgery to put in a dialysis catheter and began hemodialysis treatments for 4 hours, 3 times a week. She was placed on the kidney transplant list, hoping to find a suitable donor. After months of waiting and testing, they found that David, her father, could be her kidney donor. David went to U of M Hospital to donate while Coco and Keiko went to Mott’s to receive the kidney. After the kidney transplant, Coco recovered well. The nurses called her kidney the “6’7” kidney” due to her father's height. Recently, Colette has been diagnosed with Post-Transplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder, a type of pre-cancer that is special for transplant patients, and is now undergoing infusions to try and stop it from progressing.
The SJ5K can help the Woods family by providing financial support for essential equipment to make Coco and her family's lives easier. The community’s support during these struggles can greatly impact their lives. They always try to remember how much they have to be grateful for and to take it one day at a time. Through tough times, the Woods remind themselves, “There is more right than wrong with Coco." Together we can help the Woods family stay unstoppable with JOY.
August Thomas
August Thomas, named after the famous playwright August Wilson, is a happy and bright 2 year old who is currently a part of the P-CCS Early On Program. August and his father, Devonta, moved to Canton in July 2022. Devonta works for the University of Michigan. August and Devonta spend as much time together as possible. They enjoy going for walks in the park, and watching August's favorite cartoons, Bluey and Dora the Explorer. August loves laughing and is smiling every day.
For the first two months of August’s life, he was very healthy. At this time they were living in Georgia. In May of 2022, August had his first seizure. They were in an emergency room in Athens but were transferred to a hospital in Atlanta, and were then admitted to the hospital for two weeks. August was diagnosed with Epilepsy and also GABRB2, which is a genetic mutation. They moved to Michigan in July. August got registered at the University of Michigan hospital where they tried many different treatments in an attempt to stop his seizures. The doctors first started him on a Keto diet, but stopped because it wasn't helping control the seizures. In February 2023, doctors attempted to try a NG Tube. August did not tolerate it, so they got it removed and he received a G-Tube instead. August had a big smile on his face when coming out of surgery, which reassured Devonta. He receives three feedings a day and overnight feedings through his G-tube. In November 2024, August went through another surgery, where doctors implanted a Vagus Nerve Stimulator (VNS) which helped control his seizures by sending small mild pulses of electricity to the brain through the vagus nerve. August now has 3-4 seizures a day but they are more manageable since his VNS surgery. He relies on several specialized chairs, which are essential for helping him move safely and comfortably throughout the day. Every day is a fight for him, filled with ongoing Physical and Occupational Therapy to support his progress. August takes over eight medications a day. He is monitored by 11 specialists and had weekly visits from the P-CCS Early On Team.
SJ5K will make a great impact on their lives. Devonta works as much as he can, while being a full time dad too. Devonta expresses how, “Whenever I think I am going through something hard, August is going through something harder.” Since August needs specialized chairs, it makes it hard to fit everything into their current car, so he is looking to find a better vehicle to help drive August. With Devonta being the sole source of income, the SJ5K would help them financially in multiple ways. When Devonta describes August he says, “He's stronger than a lot of people, every day is a fight, but August is a fighter.” Together, we can help August stay Unstoppable with RESILIENCE.
Oliver McDaniel
Oliver McDaniel is a sweet and loving two-year-old boy with a smile that lights up a room. His parents, Kayla and Josh, both work for Plymouth-Canton Community Schools. Kayla is the Director of Food & Nutrition Services, and Josh is the district electrician. Oliver has a big sister, Bristol. She is five years old and is in preschool at Allen Early Learning Academy. Together as a family, the McDaniels love to get outside, play in water, visit the zoo, apple orchard, and attend sports events.
Oliver’s parents, Kayla and Josh, sensed he was different from the moment he was born. Oliver's body was so tense and tight, he was able to lift his head completely and roll over as a newborn. After numerous chiropractic visits and daily stretching modalities, his parents noticed he quickly transitioned from a tense state to having low muscle tone and weakness. As the months passed, Oliver wasn't reaching typical milestones for his age. At four months old, he was not showing any signs of independent sitting or weight bearing. This became a concern to his parents. The doctors advised them to wait it out, but Kayla trusted her instinct and knew there was something going on, she consulted specialists and paid out of pocket to search for answers. Initially suspected of having Cerebral Palsy due to muscular and coordination issues, Oliver was eventually diagnosed with Angelman Syndrome after undergoing genetic testing. Angelman Syndrome is a rare genetic disorder that impacts his growth, motor skills, seizures, and more. Doctors have told Kayla and Josh that Oliver will likely never verbally speak and may not walk. It took Oliver 18 months to sit on his own, and he is only just mastering an army crawl at two years old. Feeding is also a challenge due to low muscle tone and coordination difficulties, leaving Oliver struggling to swallow, suck, and chew. These feeding challenges made it difficult for Oliver to gain weight. In November of 2023, he spent nearly two weeks at Mott Children's Hospital because of failure to thrive, and he received an NG tube assist with nutrition. Medications cause severe constipation and reflux, which trigger seizures and complicate his treatment. Additionally, he is prone to overheat, especially in summer, which can provoke seizures, thus requiring careful monitoring. Vision problems such as strabismus and exotropia mean his eyes struggle to align properly, requiring ongoing management and a correction surgery is scheduled in May. Oliver has heightened sensory needs, often seeking out textures, vibrations, and lights, similar to individuals with autism. Oliver also suffers from severe Central and Obstructive Apnea which causes him to stop breathing up 35 times an hour and requires oxygen during sleep. Oliver is down from 80 to about 20 seizures a day, some days better than others, after three frustrating months of medication trial and error.
The SJ5K will be able to provide the McDaniel family financial support. Currently living in Davison, it is quite costly for them to drive out to Plymouth-Canton every day. While Oliver has been through a lot, he remains bright and happy. The McDaniel family thinks it is so important for people to learn about Angelman Syndrome. “The more that people know about Angelman’s, the closer we can get to a cure” Kayla said. Together we can help the McDaniels stay unstoppable with RADIANCE.