Be the Match for Jax

Jax is just like any other seven-year-old boy. He loves to play with trucks and cars, play video games, and be outside, but his life is anything but normal. Jax is battling IPEX, an extremely rare autoimmune disease, which affects one in 1.6 million people.

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As a baby, Jax was never sick. His mom, Missy, said he was growing and thriving until he started having breathing problems as a toddler. Jax was then diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. His health issues continued with extreme and strange reactions to common illnesses like the flu or a common cold. Missy had so many questions but was left without answers from doctors.

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Jax’s family has been quarantining since 2017 for his health and safety. “I always think that March 13, 2020, the world then felt like what we have been feeling like," Missy told Pittsburgh’s Action News 4.

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They finally got an answer in October 2021 when doctors finally identified that he had IPEX. Jax now needs a bone marrow transplant to cure him of this life-threatening disease. There currently are no matches for him on the Be The Match Registry. This is mainly because of his Latino background.

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Missy is sharing Jax’s story to raise awareness about his condition and encourage others to join the registry to have the opportunity to save the lives of kids like Jax. She shares updates to the Be The Match for Jax Facebook page to help spread the word. "We're going to fight this, and I'm going to be his armor and we're going to do it," Missy told Pittsburgh’s Action News 4.

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The Pittsburgh community has rallied around Missy and her family to offer support and plan registration drives around town. Northern Regional Police Department even showed their support by holding a sign that read “Jax Strong.”

The support has also spread outside of the US. “We are pretty much scouring the earth to find somebody. We have been lucky to find some lovely, lovely people in Mexico, and they’re rallying for Jax because of his Mexican descent,” Missy told CBS Pittsburgh.

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So far, there have been over 800 registrations in Jax’s honor, but his search continues. Anyone who is 18-40 years old can register to see if they are a match for him. Text “Jax” to 61474 or visit join.bethematch.org/jax to sign up.