A GIANT STEP FOR JAX
IDENTICAL TRIPLET JAX JUST WANTS TO BE ABLE TO WALK LIKE HIS BROTHERS – FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN HELP
WHEN Annabelle Williams gave birth to identical triplets it was described as a one-in-a-million event.
But tragedy struck when one of the brothers, Jax, was left with brain damage after developing an infection during his stay in hospital.
Now, four years on, the “loving and friendly” Cardiff youngster is at the centre of a fundraising campaign – because he wants to be able to walk and run like his brothers.
Annabelle went into labour 12 weeks early when she had Jax, JesseJames and Joey.
At the time, experts told Annabelle and husband James the odds of producing identical triplets without fertility drugs were 100 million to one.
The babies were doing well after their birth until Jax developed a bowel infection during his stay in neonatal and became seriously ill.
To save his life, doctors had to remove 90% of his large intestine.
His devastated parents were told he only had a 50/50 chance of survival.
The little fighter pulled through – but was left with brain damage due to a lack of oxygen.
Aged one, he was diagnosed with quadriplegic cerebral palsy, meaning he is not able to crawl or walk.
It has not stopped him being a happy and loving boy, but he does get upset that he can’t get around like his brothers and fellow pupils at Ely and Caerau Children’s Centre.
Annabelle, from Fairwater, said: “Jax is fine mentally and he is a loving and friendly boy, but he does get frustrated that he cannot walk and run around like his brothers.”
It is why the family is now raising money for him to have groundbreaking surgery in America.
To enable him to walk he needs an operation called selective dorsal rhizotomy.
It will cost about £85,000 in total to get him to the US, and to cover the cost of the operation and the intensive physiotherapy required for two years after the operation.
Annabelle said: “This operation will not only just help him learn to walk but it will also help take away the pain caused by spasticity in his muscles.
“The doctor in America has carried out thousands of the operations and has a 100% success rate.
“It will help Jax become more independent. He is a very bright, loving and cheeky boy who would love to join in with his brothers.
“He is very limited at the moment and gets frustrated that he can’t do what others can.
“We would love nothing more than to raise the money needed to help our boy have a better life and one day hopefully see him walk with his brothers.”
Annabelle is organising a charity night at Whitchurch Rugby Club on June 22 and his set up a fundraising page.
To donate, visit www.gofundme. com/jax039s-journey