Wasilla boy takes on jog-a-thon after suffering crushed skull from tree falling on him

WASILLA, Alaska (KTUU) - Taking one step at a time, a Wasilla boy is crossing off another milestone in his recovery after surviving a life-threatening injury last year.

On Friday, surrounded by friends, eight-year-old Paxson Schultz slowly walked down his elementary school track using a walker during his elementary school’s jog-a-thon.

It’s a moment his mom, Jodee Schultz, thought she would never see.

“It was good to see him back out there again, considering we didn’t think that we’d ever get to see that again,” Schultz said. “It was a lot of emotion.”

In March 2024, Paxson suffered a life-threatening injury after a tree fell on him, crushing his skull. His normal Alaskan life of playing with his dogs, hunting, and snowmachining quickly turned into a world filled with treatment.

After his accident, which resulted in traumatic brain injury, Paxson had to learn how to walk and talk again.

“I never thought we’d see him back in the school. I never thought we’d see him out of a hospital bed,” Schultz said. “Honestly, we thought we were preparing to say goodbye.”

Paxson spent around five months in Chicago, where he received intensive therapy. He returned home to Alaska for a short period of time before going back to Chicago again in January 2025 to receive further treatment.

This August, Paxson returned to school part-time. It’s a moment his mom never thought she would see.

Friday, Paxson once again proved his strength by completing four laps in his school’s jog-a-thon to help raise money for school items.

In simple words, Paxson told Alaska’s News Source that it made him feel “happy” and it felt “good’ to participate alongside his classmates.

“It feels great to see him enjoying life again, getting to do the things, you know, some of the things that he used to do,” Schultz said.

Moving forward, Schultz said that Paxson will continue undergoing therapy.

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