Today we’d like to introduce you to Keri Janton.
Hi Keri, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My husband Dan and I welcomed our first of three sons on July 24th, 2011. Max was born with a very rare genetic condition called Costello syndrome. He had delays with speech, eating, and physical abilities, a higher risk of getting cancer, which we screened for quarterly, a heart condition called Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy that we followed closely, and he was nourished via a g-tube. While all of that sounds like a lot (and at times it certainly was), our life with Max was not defined by his special needs.
To us and all who love him, he was just a precious, vibrant little boy. His personality was joyful and friendly, he loved people, music, and being outdoors. He was extremely chatty, hilarious, and incredibly enthusiastic when one of his favorite songs played. We took Max everywhere and he made friends easily. He was a doting big brother and the heart of our household. My days began and ended with Max. He and I were so intertwined. I felt I could anticipate his every need, like my entire purpose was to be a mother and God made me just for Max (and his brothers when they arrived in 2015 and 2016). Max was my constant companion. I felt so lucky knowing he’d live with us forever and my days would always be filled with his magic.
Dan and I lost Max on October 27th, 2017, when he was just 6 years old. He had a catastrophic stroke days after a seemingly successful heart surgery. The devastation is something we will never recover from. We do our best for each other and for our other sons, Duke and Beau, but Max’s absence is always felt. Duke and Beau are incredible little boys and we’re completely smitten with them, so lucky to be their parents. They save us over and over again, giving us a reason to laugh and smile every day as we navigate this overwhelming road of grief.
We launched the Maximus Janton Foundation about 10 months after Max passed. Dan is in the golf industry, so our inaugural event (which has become an annual event) was a golf tournament, the Friends FORE Max Janton Golf Classic (it is scheduled for October 3rd this year at The Standard Club in Johns Creek). The proceeds of MJF benefit the special needs community.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The biggest challenge in running a foundation in memory of your child is compartmentalizing your emotions from your mission. The pain is always there, but to avoid drowning in it, we pour ourselves out by serving others. It feels amazing to surprise special needs families who need assistance, to swoop in and gift them with a heap of relief, allowing them an opportunity to relax with their loved ones. Special needs families incur many extra expenses and inconveniences. It is our hope that we can alleviate some of that.
As a professional writer, my work has always been pretty autonomous. I’ve never been in a leadership role, so another challenge to running MJF has been delegating tasks. Asking for help is not my strong suit, so I end up taking on way too much, especially while planning events. After events, I crash pretty hard, physically and emotionally. I’m completely worn out, and, when the adrenaline from events fades, I’m consumed with grief. It is extremely painful to shift from the high of surprising families with grand gestures to remembering that the only reason you’re doing it is because your child is gone.
I have considered closing the foundation before, unsure if I can carry on with the weight of such heavy grief, but God continues to lead me down this path. Opportunities keep presenting themselves, donations and support keep rolling in, and I feel so sure this is what I’m supposed to do. I learned so much from Max, so much from my experience as a special needs mom. It is my mission to honor my son in all that I do, to impart hope and joy into other special needs families, to show Max’s brothers how meaningful Max’s life was and how he continues to change lives. Max was one of the three greatest gifts I’ve ever received. I never want people to stop saying his name and remembering him – I won’t ever let that happen.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
The Maximus Janton Foundation provides for the special needs community in a variety of ways. Here is a list of some of the things we’ve done since 2018.
– We funded the renovation of the sensory room at a local elementary school.
– We’ve donated $70,000 to support NICU families at Northside Hospital-Forsyth
– We sponsor 1-3 special needs families every Christmas, gifting them with an over-the-top Christmas.
– We established The Maximus Janton Scholarship Fund at The Music Class, covering tuition for special needs students
– We’ve donated hundreds of books to Babies Can’t Wait children.
– We’ve sponsored the tuition for camp for many FOCUS + Fragile Kids families
– We’ve gifted tens of thousands via Go Fund Me accounts and gift cards to families in crisis
– We recently funded the cost of a customized adapted bike- we look forward to doing more of this!
– We covered the cost of a new HVAC system for a family in need
I am a professional writer by trade. I have freelanced for a handful of publications over the years, mostly the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. I write feature stories and personal essays, the latter of which is my favorite. I have written a handful of children’s books that I’d love to have published and am currently working on a book of essays.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.maximusjantonfoundation.org
- Other: www.kerijanton.com
Image Credits:
Photos by: Nicolette Cox of Wild Honey Photo, Michelle Zakeri Photography, and Keri Janton
