Sheffield mother Sammy Knowles is mourning the heartbreaking loss of her 4-year-old son, Jaxon Knowles, whom she called their “miracle baby.”
Sammy and her husband had taken Jaxon on what was supposed to be a dream vacation. But shortly after they returned home, the little boy started complaining about pain under his arm.
Later that night, he went to sleep but woke up with stomach pain, his devastated mother recalled.
Feeling unwell, Jaxon asked to sleep in his parents’ bed—something he often did when he wasn’t feeling his best. To help bring down his fever, Sammy gave him paracetamol, just as she had done before when treating his chest infections.
Unfortunately, when she woke up around 5 a.m. to check on him, she noticed a rash spreading across his body. At first, she assumed it might be chickenpox, but within minutes, she realized it was something far more serious.
As the rash worsened, Sammy immediately called for an ambulance. “His mouth and tongue started swelling, and he began vomiting. We called 999, and while waiting for help, he was struggling to breathe. We had to turn him onto his side,” she told YorkshireLive.
By the time they reached the hospital, Jaxon’s condition had already become critical. He was bleeding from his eyes, and doctors determined he needed to be placed in a coma before being transferred to a specialized children’s hospital.
Tragically, despite all their efforts, his little heart couldn’t hold on.
Doctors told Jaxon Knowles’ parents that he had meningitis. Tragically, he passed away on the morning of February 17.
“I can’t believe it,” Sammy said, tears streaming down her face. “Just hours before, he seemed perfectly fine. There were no warning signs, no symptoms of meningitis. It happened so suddenly.”
Still reeling from the loss, she added, “He was our miracle baby. We spent seven years trying—enduring multiple rounds of IVF. After three heartbreaking miscarriages, he was our last hope.”
Now, Jaxon’s parents are determined to spread awareness about meningitis.
“If we can help even one family, that would mean everything,” said his father, Jordan.
Meningitis can be difficult to detect early because its symptoms often resemble those of other illnesses. Common signs include intense headaches, neck pain when bending forward, a stiff neck, and sensitivity to light. As the illness worsens, it may cause confusion, extreme fatigue, or even seizures.
Jaxon’s family has launched a fundraising page to support the charity organization Meningitis Now.
In an interview with the BBC, Jason shared, “We know there was no vaccination that Jax could take, perhaps with more funding and more research things can change in the future.”
Jaxon’s mother, Sammy, expressed her grief, saying, “He was everything to us. Now, there’s just a void. Our house is empty. Our world is empty. We have nothing.”
To honor Jaxon’s memory, his beloved football club, Sheffield Wednesday, will pay tribute to him during their match against Sunderland.
May he rest in peace.
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