Sammy and Jordan Knowles had spent years dreaming of becoming parents. When their son Jaxon was born, he became the center of their world—a lively, joyful little boy who brought light into their lives every day. Just days after returning from a happy family vacation, Jaxon complained of a small ache in his arm. At first, it seemed like nothing more than an ordinary childhood pain. His parents gave him medicine and stayed close by his side, never once imagining that within hours, their world would shatter.
In the early hours of the morning, Sammy noticed frightening changes. A dark rash had appeared under Jaxon’s arm. He began vomiting, and swelling developed inside his mouth. Terrified, Sammy and Jordan immediately contacted emergency services, but by the time paramedics arrived, his condition had already declined sharply. At the hospital, doctors and nurses fought desperately to save him, but the infection had moved too quickly. On February 17, the Knowles family faced the unimaginable: their only child was gone.
The diagnosis was meningococcal disease, a rare but devastating form of bacterial meningitis that can strike without warning. Symptoms often begin with fever, rash, vomiting, or extreme tiredness—and can escalate within hours. Although some strains of meningococcal meningitis are preventable with vaccines, the particular type that took Jaxon’s life was not covered.
Shattered by their loss, Sammy and Jordan are determined to make their son’s story a source of awareness and hope for others. They have launched the Jaxon Knowles Forever Fund, partnering with the charity Meningitis Now to promote vaccine research and spread life-saving education. Their mission is clear: to remind parents and caregivers that bacterial meningitis can turn deadly in a matter of hours, and that immediate medical attention can make all the difference.
By sharing Jaxon’s journey, they hope no other family will ever have to endure the same heartbreaking loss.