Family of 2-year-old Facing 22nd Brain Surgery Talks to News 9

An Oklahoma family is looking for help as their 2-year-old little boy faces his 22nd brain surgery.

Little Paxton's family is hoping this surgery will be a turning point in his young life. When he was just a year old, doctors found a cyst on the back of his brain, and since then, he's been in and out of the hospital.

Now, he's at OU Children's Hospital where his mom says he's making progress, giving them hope ahead of his 22nd operation.

He isn't quite three, and already Paxton Akins is an inspiration to anyone who knows him.

"He's just such a beautiful soul, you know. He loves life," his mom, Brianne Akins said. "When he's not dealing with the shunt stuff, he's the happiest kid."

1/26/2013 Related Story: Donation Fund Set Up For OKC Boy Undergoing 22nd Brain Surgery

His mom has been at OU Medical Center with him for the past two weeks. He's recovering from his 21st brain surgery on Friday.

Paxton was born prematurely in April 2010. He weighed only 1 lb. 10 oz. He spent the first three months of his life in the hospital.

"I was told he only had a 10% chance at life. He developed two brain bleeds because he was born so early and all the trauma," Akins said.

Paxton was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, which is extra fluid on the brain. He also has cerebral palsy, and when he was a year old, doctors placed a shunt on the back of his head where they found a large cyst.

"Ever since we started messing with the cyst, it's when our ‘neuro-nightmare' started. We did about a two-month hospital stay around August, and it was just like, ‘boom, boom, boom,' malfunction after malfunction," Akins said.

Surgeons started actually removing the cyst last week. It's a turning point that gives Paxton's family renewed hope.

See how you can donate to help Paxton and his family.