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FORT CARSON, Colo. - Saxton Crump was diagnosed with Ewing's
sarcoma at age 11. He was hospitalized and fought for a year before
winning the battle against the third most common form of primary
bone cancer that typically starts in the bones.
Saxton, now
13, hopes to become an engineer and design 100 percent
self-sustaining buildings. He has passed the entrance tests for Duke
University and will be attending the Duke University Talent
Identification Program this summer.
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December 16, 2014 - Saxton Crump, son of Capt. Michael Crump, 141st
Infantry Battalion, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry
Division, tours one of the new, energy-efficient mechanical room
systems installed in a Fort Carson barracks with Mike Henderson,
mechanical engineering technician with the Directorate of Public
Works Engineering Division. Crump, 13, a gifted and talented eighth
grader at Discovery Canon School, requested to meet with DPW staff
to learn more about what Fort Carson is doing in terms of energy
efficiency on the installation.
(U.S. Army photo by Sgt. William Smith)
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Saxton's father, Capt. Michael Crump, operations officer,
141st Infantry Battalion, 4th Infantry Brigade, 4th Infantry
Division, said Saxton was made well aware that the odds were
stacked against him.
“Saxton feels that he lived
through (cancer) to make a difference,” his father said.
Michael Crump wants
people to know that his son has a unique perspective on life
and is generous.
“As sick as he was, he always looked
to be strong for the kids he felt were sicker,” Michael
Crump said. “He was a reluctant recipient of Make-A-Wish. He
asked them to give it to a little girl named Amalie because
she had just had her fourth birthday and they did not think
she was going to get out of the hospital.”
Saxton
Crump said his experiences were hard for him and Amalie
inspired him to want to give back and make the world a
better place.
“She was 4 and didn't deserve to go
through that,” said Saxton. “I want to design hospital
buildings that are self-sustaining so the money they spend
on resources can be better spent on funding research to be
able to better treat children who suffer.”
Saxton
isn't just waiting to go to school. He has been working side
by side with members of Fort Carson's Directorate of Public
Works to get a general understanding of the way different
energy sources work.
Saxton said it has been great
gaining a general understanding of energy and how people use
it every day.
“I am just trying to learn everything
that I can right now,” Saxton said. “By gathering knowledge
and taking advantage of the opportunities offered to me, I
hope to build something for the community. Who wouldn't want
to make a difference if given the chance?”
By U.S. Army Sgt. William Smith
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2015
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