Boy, 4, dies day after telling mom ”under my arm hurts”

What was supposed to be a dream vacation turned into a tragic event.

Now, a whole family is grieving the heartbreaking loss of 4-year-old Jaxon Knowles — and they have an important message for everyone.

Something went really wrong.

In a heartbreaking twist, a young boy’s life ended too soon after what was meant to be a fun family trip. But what happened next was a nightmare that no parent could ever think of.

Jaxon’s mom, Sammy Knowles, and her husband Jordan took their son on a short getaway to Blackpool, hoping to make wonderful memories. But as the family was coming back home on Sunday, February 16, something went really wrong.

”Jaxon was saying he felt pain under his arm, then he fell asleep for a bit. When he woke up, he said his tummy hurt,” Sammy remembered, talking to Yorkshire Live.

Later, Jaxon asked if he could sleep in his mom’s bed, which he always did when he was feeling sick. Sammy gave him a small dose of paracetamol to help lower his fever, which usually worked for his regular chest infections.

But when she woke up around 5 a.m. the next morning, everything had changed for the worse.

“I used my phone’s flashlight to check his temperature, and that’s when I noticed the rash,” Sammy says, her voice shaking. “At first, I thought it was chickenpox, but when I turned on the lamp, I realized it was a lot worse.”

Was crying blood

The rash got worse really fast, and Jaxon started to get sicker.

“His mouth and tongue began to swell, and he threw up. We called 999, and while we waited for the ambulance, he could hardly breathe. We had to lay him on his side.”

Sammy remembers, saying it felt like forever as they waited for help.

When they finally got to the hospital, Jaxon was in a really bad state. 15 doctors surrounded the little boy, doing everything they could.

“They worked on him for hours, but he was crying blood,” Sammy recalls. “I tried to soothe him by singing his favorite lullabies, but the doctors said they had to put him in a coma and move him to a children’s hospital.”

Unfortunately, even with the brave efforts of the medical team, Jaxon’s heart stopped beating. They managed to bring him back for a short time, but he sadly passed away on Monday morning, February 17.

“I can’t believe this is happening,” Sammy said, tears streaming down her face. “He seemed perfectly fine just hours ago. There were no signs, no symptoms of meningitis. It just hit us out of the blue.

Later, it was confirmed that Jaxon died from meningococcal disease, a serious type of bacterial meningitis that mainly affects young kids.

“He was our miracle baby,” Sammy said, trying hard not to cry. “We spent seven years trying to have him, going through many rounds of IVF. After three miscarriages, he was our last chance.

Turning their pain into a way to help others

The couple, heartbroken over the loss of their son, is now using their pain to raise awareness about meningitis.

“If we can help even one family, that would mean everything to us,” Jordan said, holding back tears as he spoke about his son.

Every year, around 3,000 people in the United States — about one in every 100,000 — are diagnosed with bacterial meningitis. Up to 10% of these cases can be deadly. While anyone can get this infection, babies and young children are the most at risk.

Bacterial meningitis usually starts with symptoms like headaches and fevers, which are common in many other illnesses, making it tough to diagnose at first.

As the infection gets worse, more specific signs show up, like a really bad headache, neck pain when bending forward, a stiff neck, and sometimes sensitivity to light.

Later symptoms can include confusion, tiredness, or seizures. The condition can get worse very quickly, with some patients experiencing confusion or even falling into a coma by the time they get medical help.

”He was everything to us”

In memory of Jaxon, a charity page has been established, with all contributions directed to Meningitis Now, an organization dedicated to assisting families impacted by the disease.

“We understand that there was no vaccination available for Jax, but perhaps with increased funding and further research, future changes may occur,” stated Mr. Knowles, as reported by BBC.

Additionally, Sheffield Wednesday, a club that Jaxon fervently supported, will conduct a tribute during their match against Sunderland, inviting fans to join in a four-minute round of applause to honor his memory.

Jaxon’s parents, who are still grappling with the loss of their “miracle baby,” are in the process of navigating their grief. “He meant everything to us,” Sammy expresses. “Now, there is merely a void. Our home feels empty. Our world feels empty. We have lost everything.”