What was meant to be a dream vacation ended in the most tragic way.
Now, an entire family is mourning the heartbreaking loss of 4-year-old Jaxon Knowles — and they have an important message for everyone.
Something went terribly wrong
In a devastating turn of events, a young boy’s life was cut short after what was supposed to be a fun family holiday. But what followed was a nightmare that no parent could ever imagine.
Jaxon’s mother, Sammy Knowles, and her husband Jordan had taken their son on a short break to Blackpool, hoping to create lasting memories. But as the family returned home on Sunday, February 16, something went terribly wrong.
”Jaxon was complaining about pain under his arm, then fell asleep for a while. He woke up saying his tummy hurt,” Sammy recalled, speaking with Yorkshire Live.
Later, Jaxon asked to sleep in his mother’s bed, something he always did when he wasn’t feeling well. Sammy gave him a low dose of paracetamol to help bring his fever down, something that typically worked for his usual chest infections.
However, when she woke up around 5 a.m. the following morning, things had taken a horrific turn.
”I used my phone’s torch to check his temperature, and that’s when I saw the rash,” Sammy says, her voice trembling. ”At first, I thought it was chickenpox, but when I turned on the lamp, I realized it was much worse.”
Was crying blood
The rash quickly worsened, and Jaxon’s condition began deteriorating.
”His mouth and tongue started swelling, and he threw up. We called 999, and as we waited for the ambulance, he could barely breathe. We had to turn him on his side”
Sammy recalls, describing what felt like an eternity as they awaited medical help.
By the time they reached the hospital, Jaxon’s condition was critical. 15 doctors stood around the little boy, doing everything in their power.
”They worked on him for hours, but he was crying blood,” Sammy remembers. ”I tried to comfort him by singing his favorite lullabies, but the doctors said they needed to put him in a coma and transfer him to a children’s hospital.”
Sadly, despite the heroic efforts of the medical staff, Jaxon’s heart stopped, and after they briefly revived him, he passed away on Monday morning, February 17.
”I can’t believe it,” Sammy sais through tears. ”He was fine just hours before. There were no signs, no symptoms of meningitis. It just came out of nowhere.
Jaxon’s death was later confirmed to be caused by meningococcal disease, a deadly form of bacterial meningitis that primarily affects young children.
”He was our miracle baby,” Sammy says, struggling to hold back tears. ”We spent seven years trying to have him, going through multiple rounds of IVF. After three miscarriages, he was our last hope.”
Using their heartbreak to spread awareness
The couple, devastated by the loss of their son, is now using their heartbreak to help raise awareness about meningitis.
”If we can help even one family, that would mean everything,” says Jordan, holding back tears as he talks about his son.
Each year, around 3,000 people in the United States — about one in every 100,000 — are diagnosed with bacterial meningitis. Up to 10% of bacterial meningitis cases can be fatal. While the infection can affect people of any age, infants and young children are at the highest risk.
Bacterial meningitis often begins with symptoms like headache and fever, which are common to many other illnesses, making it hard to diagnose at first.
As the infection progresses, more specific signs appear, such as a severe headache, neck pain when bending forward, a stiff neck, and occasionally sensitivity to light.
Later symptoms may include confusion, lethargy, or seizures. The condition can worsen quickly, with some patients experiencing delirium or falling into a coma by the time they seek medical help.
”He was everything to us”
In Jaxon’s honor, a charity page has been set up with all donations going to Meningitis Now, an organization that supports families affected by the disease.
”We know there was no vaccination that Jax could take, perhaps with more funding and more research things can change in the future,” said Mr Knowles, according to the BBC.
In addition, Sheffield Wednesday, a club Jaxon was passionate about, will hold a tribute during their match against Sunderland, with fans invited to participate in a four-minute round of applause in his memory.
Jaxon’s parents, still reeling from the loss of their ”miracle baby,” continue to process their grief. ”He was everything to us,” Sammy says. ”Now, there’s just a void. Our house is empty. Our world is empty. We have nothing.”