Axes Gives Back: Supporting Colton’s Cause

At Axes Physical Therapy, we give our patients’ their livelihoods, lifestyles, and abilities back through the service of physical and occupational therapy. But we believe that helping others extends far beyond the clinic walls. Since giving back is the fundamental reason that our organization exists, it was important to the ownership and staff of Axes Physical Therapy to make sure that we are doing all that we can to give back to the communities we love.

Each month, Axes partners with a local, staff-nominated charitable organization to donate food, goods, clothes, and funds through our “Wear Jeans, Change Lives” initiative. Employees of Axes contribute to a St. Louis area charitable cause by automatic payroll deduction, and get to wear jeans to work on Fridays. With 21 locations across the Greater St. Louis area, we’re proud to offer top-tier physical therapy services, but we’re just as proud of the way we show up for our communities in times of need.

Through our Axes Physical Therapy Foundation, we partner each month with a staff-nominated charity that is making a meaningful impact. This April, we are honored to support Colton’s Cause, a local foundation created in memory of Colton John Armengol—an extraordinary young man who lived with a rare neurological disorder and inspired everyone who knew him.

Who Was Colton?

Colton John Armengol was born in St. Louis in 2000 and quickly revealed himself to be a fighter. At just three months old, his parents began seeking answers for the symptoms he was showing. Over the years, Colton was diagnosed with a range of severe and complex conditions, including epilepsy, chorea, myasthenia gravis, visual impairment, and developmental delays. Despite extensive care from specialists across the country, it wasn’t until age 12—thanks to the Human Genome Project—that his condition was identified as a GABRB2-associated neurodevelopment disorder, one of the rarest genetic disorders in the world.

Colton faced more medical challenges than most of us will ever know—seizures, surgeries, feeding tubes, mobility limitations, and respiratory complications—but his life was also filled with joy, love, and deep connection. He rode horses in therapeutic programs, found joy in music therapy, and brought happiness to everyone around him. He graduated from Southview School in 2021, just months before his passing at age 21.

Colton defied expectations and touched the lives of all who knew him. His story is one of perseverance, love, and an unbreakable bond with his family and community.

What Is Colton’s Cause?

Colton’s Cause was founded in Colton’s memory to support families of children and young adults with complex medical needs and disabilities—those like Colton, whose care is demanding, constant, and often unsupported by traditional community programs.

After Colton’s graduation, his family discovered that there were no programs in the St. Louis area equipped to care for young adults with Colton’s level of need. This inspired the creation of Colton’s Cause: a mission-driven foundation to raise awareness, close service gaps, and advocate for inclusive care and resources that provide dignity and quality of life to people living with severe disabilities.

Why This Cause Matters

At Axes Physical Therapy, we know that care doesn’t stop when someone ages out of school programs or formal systems. We work every day to improve quality of life through movement, independence, and support—and we understand the enormous burden placed on families caring for individuals with significant medical needs.

Colton’s Cause shines a light on the often invisible families in our communities who provide around-the-clock care, navigate complicated medical systems, and fight for basic access to resources. Supporting this cause is about compassion, advocacy, and honoring lives like Colton’s—lives filled with meaning, despite immense challenges.

How Axes Is Supporting Colton’s Cause

This month, our team members are donating to Colton’s Cause through our “Axes Gives Back” program. In addition to financial contributions, we’re helping raise awareness of the realities families like Colton’s face—and encouraging our community to get involved however they can.

When you support Colton’s Cause, you’re helping families who often feel overlooked and overburdened. You’re honoring Colton’s story. And you’re contributing to a more inclusive world for people with disabilities.

Giving Back to the St. Louis Community

At Axes, giving back is a core part of our mission. Whether we’re helping patients recover from injury through physical therapy in St. Louis, or supporting organizations like Colton’s Cause, we are committed to improving lives with compassion, movement, and purpose.

How You Can Join Us

Want to make a difference in the lives of young people? Here’s how you can support Colton’s Cause:

Donate: Contributions go directly toward mental health education, suicide prevention programs, and community events. Donate through the Axes Foundation here.
Start the conversation: Talk to your kids, students, and loved ones about mental health. Help raise awareness by reading and sharing Colton’s Story.
Learn more: Visit www.coltonscause.org to explore ways to get involved or access resources.
Share their mission: Help break the stigma by spreading awareness in your own network.

Together, we can lift each other up and build a future where no young person struggles in silence.

https://www.coltonscause.org/about

Helping you is what we do.