St. Charles Parish welcomes Braxton Wohlferd home, more than four months after a virus struck his heart – Post Bulletin

ST. CHARLES, Minn. – Friday’s scene in St. Charles could have easily come from a movie.

Still, one could argue that this ending was far better than anything Hollywood could have written.

The streets of St. Charles were littered with “Braxton Strong” signs and community members wearing the color orange as they greeted one of their own friends in Braxton Wohlferd with a parade escorted by police and first responders.

Maya Giron/Post Bulletin

There were many happy tears and cheers as the 16-year-old and St. Charles High School sophomore rode around town in a golf cart along with his parents Melissa and Randy and younger siblings Brynn and Briggs. The smiles on their faces told the whole story of that day – a day that didn’t seem possible four months ago.

Whether you ask his parents, his close friends, or his sensational team at Mayo Clinic, the answer is the same: It’s amazing that Braxton is still with us.

“We are beyond grateful for the support and prayers we have received over the past four months,” Braxton’s mother, Melissa, said in a prepared statement. “It wasn’t just our entire community, it was neighboring communities, even people we never met. We truly believe that without these prayers, Braxton would not be here today. God heard those prayers and He answered them. This is who we are.’ We’re so happy we (Braxton) are home. We would also like to thank each and every person who took care of Braxton. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

It was in January when Braxton’s life almost ended.

After feeling unwell for a few days, his family took him to the Mayo Clinic emergency room, where they had difficulty taking his pulse. They soon discovered that parvovirus B19, also known as fifth disease, had infected his heart before spreading to the rest of his body.

Typically, Fifth Disease is a harmless childhood illness that goes away on its own, but for an unknown reason this time it was almost fatal. Doctors told the Wohlferds that Braxton would have had a better chance of being struck by lightning.

Not only did it cause irreversible damage to his heart, requiring a heart transplant, but the virus also wreaked havoc on his leg muscles. He developed compartment syndrome and had to undergo surgery before receiving a new heart. There was talk of amputation and there were fears that he would never walk again.

He underwent a fasciotomy, a procedure in which the fascia is cut to relieve pressure in the muscle compartment. There is a risk. The mortality rate is 11-15% and the amputation rate is 10-20%.

The surgery went well, but a few days later Wohlferd began bleeding from his cuts. If they couldn’t stop the bleeding, they couldn’t do the heart transplant.

At this time, Braxton’s loved ones relied on their faith and urged others to do the same.

Remarkably, these prayers were answered.

The bleeding stopped and the heart transplant went smoothly. Mayo’s team was able to save his legs and ability to walk. Over the past three months, he has tackled his therapy and rehab with the same tenacity he showed on the soccer field, the wrestling mat and the baseball diamond.

“It’s almost surreal,” said Mya Omdahl, a childhood friend, neighbor and St. Charles senior. “Just because when you see someone at their lowest point, there’s just a lot of unknowns. We knew he would pull through, but you don’t know. You don’t know what it will be like. That’s it.” It’s just great to see that he’s back to himself.

Omdahl had visited Wohlferd early and often throughout the recovery process.

“It was hard,” she said. “It’s so nice to see him like this – much better.”

That’s what made Friday so special.

Hundreds of elementary school children were dressed in orange, holding up their handmade signs and cheering as police cars, fire trucks and golf carts rolled by. Hundreds more waited for him at the high school as his friends and classmates shouted his name and the two words that have become a staple in the community: “Braxton strong.”

“That was really cool. It’s pretty embarrassing for me to walk by the high school because I know everyone,” Braxton said, family laughter erupting behind him. “But other than that it was really good and helpful. I thank everyone for everything they have done for us.”

A little over three weeks ago, Wohlferd set a goal that he wanted to achieve before his official return home. He wanted to be able to climb the three steps needed to get into the Wohlferds’ house.

As he has done for the past four months, Braxton defied the odds and surpassed that goal by climbing up and down the 14 steps of the Wohlferds’ home Thursday evening.

Maya Giron/Post Bulletin

It was a moment of celebration.

Now he’s looking forward to being in his own bed again and eating home-cooked meals again.

He admitted that the planned hamburgers on the grill would taste a little different on Friday night with the family.

“I need to get some meat on these bones,” he said with a smile.

Maya Giron/Post Bulletin

Maya Giron/Post Bulletin