"He was our miracle baby and our last chance of having kids - now he's gone." These are the heart-wrenching words of a grief-stricken mother from Yorkshire, recounting the harrowing final hours of her son's life.
Sheffield mum Sammy Knowles described how medical teams battled to save her four year old son Jaxon, who was 'crying blood', after a rash led to a deadly diagnosis of meningitis. Sammy, 40, and her husband John, 38, had taken their son on holiday, unaware of the horrifying ordeal that awaited them upon their return.
The family had enjoyed a weekend in Blackpool with Jaxon's uncle and a family friend. Sammy remembers Jaxon's joy as he playfully dived into the pool and 'acted like a lunatic' during their short break, which ended on Sunday, February 16.
However, tragedy struck when they returned home, as Jaxon suddenly fell ill and tragically passed away in hospital the following day, Monday, February 17. Mrs Knowles recalled: "He was complaining about under his arm [armpit] hurting. He then went to sleep for a while before waking up to say that he had a tummy ache.
"When we got home around 6pm on Sunday, as I lifted him out of the car he kept asking to sleep in 'mummy's bed' - which he always did when he was ill," reports Yorkshire Live.
Sammy recounted the harrowing experience with her son's sudden illness, saying: "He often got chest infections, so it was nothing new. I gave him some Calpol, which usual sorts out illnesses and did keep his temperature down. I stayed up with him till 2am and then woke up at 5am where I used my torch on my phone so I was able to see his temperature reading - but that was when I saw a rash."
She initially thought it was chicken pox, admitting: "My first thought was that it was chicken pox and I was devastated for him but when I turned on the lamp next to me, I immediately saw how bad it was. I told my husband that I wanted to go to A&E straightaway and as we were getting dressed his condition got worse. He threw up, then his mouth and tongue began swelling. We immediately called 999 who told us to lay him down but he couldn't breathe so we had to turn him to his side."
Describing the agonising wait, she said: "It felt like an eternity had passed until emergency responders arrived then the ambulance crews. We were not told anything about it being meningitis until we were in the ambulance where we were told 15 nurses and doctors were waiting in the ICU of Rotherham Hospital."
Shocked by the diagnosis, she added: "I was in shock as I had not heard anything about meningitis for years."
In the hospital, as Jaxon's condition worsened, Sammy and John tried to provide comfort. Mrs Knowles shared the heartbreaking moment: "He just kept asking to sleep in mummy's room. I tried to distract him by singing his favourite lullabies. He was crying blood and it was awful.
"The doctors eventually told us that he needed to be put into a coma and the plan was to send him to a children's hospital. They continued to work on him and told us that they managed to restart his heart when it stopped but then we were urgently called back into the room as he had then died."
Now, days after the tragic event, Jaxon's parents are reeling from the shock as they prepare to say their final goodbyes with a funeral scheduled for March 10. Mrs Knowles expressed her disbelief, saying: "It still doesn't feel real. He was fine all weekend and in a matter of hours he is gone. There were no symptoms of meningitis."
She went on to discuss their journey to parenthood, stating, "He was our miracle baby and our last chance of having kids as I am 40-years-old. We tried for seven years and went through five rounds of IVF as well as other fertility treatments."
She fondly reflected on the joy Jaxon brought to their lives: "He changed our world and finally made us parents after we suffered three miscarriages. He took our sadness away. He loved going on holiday and travelled the world with us. We took him to Lapland last Christmas."
Mrs Knowles added with heartache: "He was such as good boy, no trouble at all. Now we have nothing." In memory of their beloved son, a charity foundation page has been set up where all donations will benefit Meningitis Now in Jaxon's honour.
Additionally, a special tribute is planned at the Sheffield Wednesday game against Sunderland tonight, starting at 8pm, with a four-minute applause to remember Jaxon, who was an avid supporter of the club.
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