A sixteen-month-old little boy in Australia has made headlines both in his home country and throughout the world for his miraculous recovery following a devastating car crash.
While traveling down the road with his family at 70 mph, little Jaxon was sitting in the back seat when suddenly the car went around a curve only to slam head-on with another vehicle. The occupants of the other car, three teenagers to be exact, had just come from doing doughnuts on the road nearby and were not paying attention to where they were going. Their lack of awareness and reckless driving habits nearly cost a young child his life that day.
The impact, being head-on and at such a high speed, resulted in internal decapitation for the one-year-old Jaxon. Literally causing his head to separate from his neck, this collision left doctors convinced that the young boy’s life was unlikely to be saved. Fortunately, Jaxon was determined to beat the odds and to survive to see another day.
According to Dr. Geoff Askin, a local spinal surgeon, it’s very rare for small children to survive these injuries. Most die upon impact, so the fact that Jaxon survived the accident at all was truly astounding in and of itself. Even those who do survive the impact, he said, are unlikely to make a full recovery and often remain paralyzed and in need of breathing assistance for the rest of their lives. Not so with this little hero.
Jaxon was taken immediately into surgery, and doctors worked tirelessly for the next six hours on the boy in order to repair the damage. During the procedure, doctors repurposed one of Jaxon’s ribs, using the bone and medical wire to essentially join the head with the spine, thereby repairing his broken neck. In other words, doctors were able to completely and successfully reattach this young boy’s head to his spinal column!
While Jaxon was once clinging to life, doctors are now very positive about his recovery and his future prognosis. During the healing process, Jaxon has been fitted with a special device, known as a “halo, which will support his head and neck. Despite this horrific accident and the long journey of recovery still ahead, doctors are expecting him to make a full recovery.
Jaxon’s older sister, nine-year-old Shayne, who was also in the car when the accident occurred, is also expected to recover fully. She was injured as well in the accident, and sustained several broken vertebrae. She also underwent surgery in order to repair her injuries and address the internal bleeding that she suffered as a result of the collision.
While Jaxon and his sister’s survival and great prognosis is certainly wonderful, the repercussions and legal consequences being faced by the three teenagers who caused the crash are minimal, especially when considering the results of their actions. Rylea Taylor, Shayne and Jaxon’s mother, expressed her outrage at the teenagers only receiving a fine and a suspended sentence following the crash. She’s made it her mission to campaign for stricter penalties and sentencing for those convicted of reckless driving in Australia. In so doing, she hopes to better protect both her children as well as others who may find themselves in a similar situation in the future.
There are no words for how Jaxon’s family is feeling towards his miraculous recovery. Not only has his survival proven itself to be a testament to the strength, resilience, and perseverance of this little boy, but also to the skill and dedication of the wonderful doctors to whom his care was entrusted.
Without a doubt, this story is truly a heartwarming and amazing one!