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MAKE-A-WISH Rogue River teen gets his wish before dying Franklin Graham pays a visit to the youth and his family Comment By Ruth Longoria Kingsland Grants Pass Daily Courier MailTribune.com By Ruth Longoria Kingsland Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Feb. 9, 2016 at 2:57 PM By Ruth Longoria Kingsland Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Feb. 9, 2016 at 2:57 PM » Social News ROGUE RIVER — An 18-year-old former Rogue River High School student who died of a rare childhood cancer last week got his last wish in more ways than one. Jaxson Breazeale had his wish granted through the Make-A-Wish Foundation on Jan. 29, when Franklin Graham, son of evangelist Billy Graham, visited Breazeale at his Rogue River home. That was three days before the teenager died at his home on Feb. 1. The boy's other wish, to someday become an evangelist himself, also was granted this past week, albeit posthumously. "He's all over the world now," Jaxson's father, Ron, told the Grants Pass Daily Courier. Jaxson's wish of becoming an evangelist came true not only from his own posts on Twitter, which gained the young man thousands of followers, but also from the wish to meet Graham. "Life is so short. I just met Jaxson Breazeale through Make-A-Wish America on Friday, and he passed away this morning," Graham wrote on his Facebook page on Feb. 1. "I know that the hearts of his family and friends are heavy, but at the same time they are rejoicing that he is in the presence of Almighty God and his suffering is over," Graham continued in his online post. Jaxson's last words to his family had a similar message of hope: "When I get to Heaven, I won't have cancer, and I'll be able to walk again." Ron Breazeale wrote his son's quote out for the Courier, as, he said, he'd not have been able to repeat those words without breaking down in tears. Graham's online page received more than 65,000 likes for one of two photos he posted last week of his visit with Jaxson. The second photo, of Graham and the Breazeale family, has received similar public approval. The elder Breazeale said his son became a Christian while in elementary school and had long enjoyed Billy Graham's televised crusades. Because he knew Graham was now 97 years old and is no longer able to travel, Jaxson's wish was to meet Graham's son, who now serves as president and CEO of both the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan's Purse, an international Christian humanitarian organization. Prior to being diagnosed in May with Ewing's sarcoma, a type of bone cancer, Jaxson had researched various ministries in the state and planned to become an evangelist, his mother, Patty Breazeale, told the Daily Courier. The family had taken Jaxson to the doctor last spring, when he became weak and had trouble walking. It was discovered he had two tumors on his back, which, despite radiation and chemotherapy, spread rapidly. Jaxson made his Make-A-Wish request through his doctor in Portland, but it came as a surprise when Franklin Graham called the Breazeale home. "This isn't the way Make-A-Wish usually works," Ron Breazeale said, adding that most wishes are granted in a public place. "For example, if someone wants to meet a sports figure, they usually meet that person in a gym, with a pizza party for a lot of people," he said. On Jan. 27 he got a phone call: "Hello, is this Ron?" the caller asked. When Breazeale responded affirmatively, the voice continued, "It's good to hear your voice. I'm Franklin Graham." Breazeale said he was surprised Graham seemed "like a normal guy." "If you ran into him in the grocery store you'd never suspect he was so famous," Breazeale said, adding that he'd said as much to his son, who responded: "He's humble, that's what an evangelist is supposed to be." Although Jaxson was feeling weak and the family worried he wouldn't be able to enjoy Graham's visit, prayers prevailed and the boy had an unexpected burst of energy when his hero arrived, his mother said. "God definitely had his hand in it," she said. Patty Breazeale, 55, has her own health problems: She has ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, and uses a motorized wheelchair to get around. Although her husband and other son, Jonathon, 23, who owns a computer shop in Rogue River, are beside her now, she previously relied a lot on her younger son, she said. "Jaxson was my protector, he was always there for me," she said, through tears. She talked of her pride in her son, who "truly believed" and always lived for others more than himself. It's not just the family who will miss Jaxson, she said. The youth's online Twitter account, for which he termed himself an "Evangelist, follower of Christ," is filled with tweets the youth wrote, of encouraging thoughts, such as, "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you" and, "For every problem, God has a solution." His mother tried to stem her tears as she told of recently discovering her son's Twitter account: "I didn't even know he was on Twitter. When I saw what he wrote, I thought, 'Wow! That's my kid.'" Jaxson's funeral expenses are being covered by Graham, who last week called and offered that assistance, according to the family. By Ruth Longoria Kingsland Grants Pass Daily Courier MailTribune.com By Ruth Longoria Kingsland Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted Feb. 9, 2016 at 2:57 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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