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Jackson's Story
The Beginning
Its hard to know where to begin when speaking about our son Jackson, the beautiful brother Rylee would adore from the moment she entered the world.
Children were always in the plans for Mitch and Rachael. After a few years of marriage and two heartbreaking miscarriages they fell pregnant for the third time. Falling pregnant brought a range of mixed emotions, hope and fear. Choosing not to find out the first or second born genders, wanting life to still hold a few surprises. After a reasonably steady pregnancy labour would arrive. A long 23 hours of labour their son finally entering their world JACKSON MACKENZIE HEPNER BORN 23 AUGUST 2000.
From the first moments, Jackson made it clear he was here to live life loudly, fully and in his own way. Jackson walked at just six months of age and was hanging off a t bone steak bone. Eager to explore everything around him. Curious, fast, nosey and always wanting to know how, what and why, he didn’t just enter rooms, he filled them with his personality. His smile lit up spaces. Even as a baby getting his very first passport photo his smile radiated within every inch of that lens. Strangers commenting on how strikingly expressive he was and often telling us “that this boy had been here before”. He followed his dad like a little apprentice, wanting to be involved, to help, to understand. He kept his mum constantly on her toes with his speed and cheeky antics.
When Rylee arrived just shy of Jackson turning three, the pair quickly became inseparable. Partners in crime. Opposites in some ways, soul bound in all ways and would become each others shadows. One treasured memory now held tightly amongst so many is Jackson laying on the lounge with Rylee a baby, feeding her her bottle, Because he had to be the one to do it.
Growing Up
Life was full for this family together. Sports, family trips, weekends on the move. Jackson wasn’t the biggest kid growing up, but he had the heart of a lion. Whether it was rugby league, AFL, touch footy or Motorcross he gave everything 100%.
He was fearless, especially on a motorbike or Jetski always chasing adrenaline and giving his family members many scares along the way.
High school wasn’t his favourite place, but his mates were. Jackson had friends across all ages and walks of life. Funny, charming and incredibly engaging, he connected with everyone making them feel like longtime friends.
After graduating Year 12 in 2017, Jackson continued a full-time apprenticeship in carpentry. He was working, celebrating, building a life and stepping confidently into adulthood.
UNTIL MARCH 2018. A DAY THAT WOULD CHANGE EVERYTHING……
The Diagnosis : Osteosarcoma, Bone Cancer
Only months out of school, Jackson was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma, a rare and aggressive bone cancer in his leg. Within a week he began one of the harshest chemotherapy protocols available. Appointments, biopsies, surgical procedures, blood tests, fertility preservation. His young adulthood suddenly replaced by a medical marathon. He would need the fearlessness he showed as a child as the fight was only beginning.
Despite the shock, pain and the brutal medications, Jackson stayed kind. He still joked on days, still charmed the nurses, still brought chocolates for the staff. Thats not saying all days were like that, there were some very dark days.
He would lose his hair within two weeks of starting treatments, week one going and getting a short haircut and then seeing it fall out making the decision to shave it off. He said “at least he had the head to rock that bald look”. He didn’t show how much it hurt or that he was scared. That was Jackson, he kept the cards tight to his chest.
After several rounds of chemotherapy, surgeons removed a tumour “the size of an orange”. A complication from this surgery was that the tumour had wrapped around a main nerve. He was left with a drop foot, a long scar and a long rehabilitation. But he kept fighting. The drop foot would not stop or let him from doing anything he put his mind too.
When the treatment ended late October he was told he was cancer free. It was one of the happiest and most treasured days of our families lives.
Due to being in hospital when it was his 18th birthday in the August his party would occur in the December. This night filled with family and friends. Celebrating with him not only his AGE but the great news received. The night was huge with so much love felt in that room, he shed tears feeling that love that had and was holding him tightly. That night filled with tears, relief, pride, hope and the comfort knowing he had fought so very hard to come out the other side.
HOW WRONG WE WOULD BE
The Unthinkable Returning
A few weeks after that celebration Jackson would have follow up scans , scans that would show spots on his lungs. Too small to confirm, but we suspect they suspected now looking back. We were told to “wait and see” “they have to get to a certain size” “will monitor” something we now question each and everyday.
Eventually they confirmed it, CANCER IN THE LUNGS.
Surgery would be scheduled. Jackson bouncing back in in his normal style. The surgeon was stunned to see him walking laps of the ward when he exited the lift to check in on him. He really was full of surprises. BUT, RELAPSE AFTER RELAPSE WOULD COME.
2020 Cancer Again. More chemotherapy, radiation would be trialled, more decisions no 20 year old should ever have to face.
He worked through treatments when well enough. Often being picked up from job sites for radiation, then dropped right back to site afterward. That was how strong his spirit was.
By 2021, despite looking extremely healthy to be told the cancer was spreading aggressively came as a huge shock. The decline came suddenly, brutally.
One night in May 2021, we were told he may night survive the night due to the intense internal bleeding that was happening in his lungs. That moment in ICU is carved into our souls. Family and friends frantically came down to sleep on the floors, couches and any little space they could find on that ICU ward. But he made it through, again surprising the medical team. He came home and we cared for him with everything we had.
Witnessing his pain broke us in ways words will always fail to capture. The trauma of those last months with him embedded so very deep. Family and friends gathered and would visit him, he felt their love.
ON JUNE 26TH 2021, JACKSON WOULD TAKE HIS LAST BREATH.
A son,
A brother,
A mate to so many,
A light forever extinguished
Our family, Mitch, Rachael and Rylee, now live in a world defined by before and after.
