RHONY’s Heather Thomson has been through some incredibly difficult struggles with her son Jax’s health. She is now an organ donor advocate after Jax became the recipient of a new liver as a baby after being born with a rare and fatal liver condition. Unfortunately the now-seven year-old Jax still struggles with some major health issues.
Jax has severe food allergies, a chronic lung condition that will probably cause him problems into adulthood, and hearing troubles. On the show he is seen being approved for an operation to help remove some scar tissue in his ears and repair the eardrums, which could improve his hearing enough to help him avoid wearing hearing aids. With everything he has to go through with his health, mom Heather just wanted to be able to fix one difficulty for him.
Jax was born with something called biliary artesis, which is a blockage in the ducts that carry bile from the liver to the gallbladder. Jax’s condition was so bad that he needed a transplant to prevent life-threatening liver damage.
In a recent blog entry, Heather addressed both the challenges and blessings of having a sick child. “Having a sick child is difficult. It drains you emotionally and financially,” she writes. “With countless days spent in the hospital and with so many different doctors, you’re left with feelings of worry and helplessness. Since Jax’s liver transplant and the complications that have come since, Jon and I have learned to take one day at a time; otherwise it can simply become too overwhelming on a family and often times destructive to it.
So instead, we try to focus on the joy in both of our children’s accomplishments, appreciating their uniqueness, and taking pride in the special qualities they each possess. Jax’s challenges have actually made us better people, made our marriage stronger, and given our children a unique perspective on life.
We are truly blessed and I am so proud of Jax, he is one of the most inspirational little guys I have ever known. I do believe that everything happens for a reason, and that everything does happen for the best. GAM ZU L’TOVAH!
