Wixom teen needs bone marrow transplant to survive rare health disorder
(WJBK) - A Wixom teen battling a rare genetic disorder his whole life needs at least one more lifesaving surgery.
Jackson Pype needs a bone marrow transplant and you could be the match.
"It's really hard because I had to miss a lot of school, I missed out on doing what I love - sports and stuff,"
The last few years have not been a struggle for Jackson, 16. He has been through countless consultations, surgeries and hospitalizations, has been diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder that impacts his immune system.
The symptoms began when he was just baby which at first his mom says were more manageable with medication. But last fall Jackson's health took a turn for the worse.
"After that it was just a snowball of events," said mom Ronda Pype. "He then developed a brain inflammation, he developed a skin inflammation, he developed GI problems. The biggest one was the brain and that happened in September and eventual stroke in November."
Doctors at the National Institute of Health told Jackson and his family his best chance of survival of this disease would be a bone marrow transplant.
"It's our only hope," Ronda said. "It is our only hope. It is really his only opportunity to beat this, because right now his quality of life is not the greatest."
"It is really important because like my mom said, it could possibly be the cure for everything," Jackson said.
The bone marrow transplant would essentially reset Jackson's immune system but unfortunately his mother, father and brother are only half matches - and so far no one in the bone marrow registry is a match.
That's why the community and Walled Lake Schools where Jackson attends, along with friends and family, are holding three different bone marrow drives and fundraisers hoping someone will be a match.
"It has all been scary," Ronda said. "That was the part where this is worse than anything anyone prepared me for."
Jackson reaches for his mother and comforts her as he begins the battle of his life.
But this normally active teen who loves to bowl, play golf and baseball continues to have a positive outlook on life. He is looking to the future hoping to one-day return to school full-time and live out a long life.
"Go to college, learn how to drive," Ronda said.
To Jjoin the bone marrow registry: https://join.bethematch.org/jackson18
Events to support Jackson
Date: Saturday, March 24, 2018
Time: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Location: Walled Lake Central High School, 1600 Oakley Park Rd. Walled Lake, MI 48390
Date: Saturday, March 24, 2018
Time: 9 p.m. (Fundraiser)
Location: Wonderland Lanes/Mad Hatter Pub, 8265 Richardson Rd. Commerce Charter Twp., MI 48390
Date: Sunday, March 25, 2018
Time: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Location:Total Sports Complex, 30990 Wixom Rd. Wixom, MI 48393
Date: Saturday, April 14, 2018
Time: 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. (Fundraiser)
Location: Multi Lakes Conservation, 3860 Newton Rd. Commerce Charter Twp., MI 48382
For more information, please contact: Kristie Arens (kristiearens@comcast.net) or Tarita Gibson, Be The Match Rep. (tgibson@nmdp.org)