>> JACKSONVILLE A 5 YEAR-OLD WHO CAPTURED THE WORLD’S ATTENTION WITH HIS
UNIQUE APPEARANCE AND HIS
INSPIRATIONAL STORY HAS PASSED
AWAY. HE DIED
APRIL 1ST.
>>MARY BAER: HIS FATHER BRANDON
BUELL JUST SHARED NEWS OF HIS
PASSING WITH NEWS 4 JAX
HE SAID, JACK’S PASSED AWAY
VERY PEACEFULLY. COMFORTABLE IN
MY ARMS.
JACKSON STORY OF SURVIVAL
EARNED HIM THE HASHTAG
JACKSON STRONG AND GAVE HIM
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF
SUPPORTERS ACROSS THE WORLD
COUNTLESS HERE IN
OUR AREA. NEWS 4 JAX REPORTER
VIC MICOLUCCI SPOKE WITH HIS
FAMILY ABOUT HIS LIFE AND HIS
LEGACY.
>> HE’S GOING TO GET THE
>> IT USES THERE WAS SOMETHING
SPECIAL ABOUT JAXON BUELL HE
WAS ONE OF A KIND.
>> OH
GOOD JOB.
>> THERE YOU GO BUDDY BORN IN
2014 WITH A SEVERE BRAIN
MALFORMATION AND A FRACTION OF
HIS SKULL DOCTORS DID NOT EXPECT HIM TO LIVE MORE THAN A FEW HOURS OR DAYS HE HAS DEFIED
THE ODDS AND WE DON’T MIND
USING IT THOSE THOSE WORDS AT
ALL JACKSON IS UNIQUE LOOK IN
STORY QUICKLY GAINED HIM
INTERNET FAME. HIS PARENTS,
BRANDON AND BRITTANY POSTING
THEIR ONLY CHILD’S JOURNEY.
IT WAS ABOUT THE LITTLE THINGS.
NICKNAMED JACKSON STRONG HIS LIFE WAS FAR FROM NORMAL. HE COULDN’T WALK OR TALK ON HIS
OWN. HE NEEDED A FEEDING TUBE
AND HAD DAYS WHEN HE WAS BARELY
CLINGING ON
TO LIFE BUT HIS PARENTS CALLED
HIM THEIR
LITTLE MIRACLE AND CHERISHED
EVERY MOMENT, WE DON’T REALLY
TREAT HIM LIKE A SPECIAL BABY
WE TREAT HIM LIKE ANY
NORMAL CHILD.
>> SO WE TEACH HIM EVERYTHING A
NORMAL MOM WOULD TEACH THEIR
BABY WHO HAS A
FULL BRAIN.
>> WE DON’T LIMIT HIM TO
ANYTHING I MET THE BUELL FAMILY
IN 2015 THROUGH A
MUTUAL FRIEND, THEY’D COME TO
VISIT FROM CENTRAL FLORIDA
TAKING JACKSON TO THE BEACH AND
JAGUARS GAMES,
SWEARING HE ENJOYED BEING
AROUND PEOPLE.
>> GOOD KISSES TO EVERYBODY.
>> IT AIRED HE’S HAPPY IN HIS
EYES ARE OPEN HE’S AWAKE
MORNING JACKSON.
>> IN 2018 THEY LAUNCHED A BOOK
AND A FOUNDATION ANNOUNCING IT
ON THE
MORNING SHOW.
>> IT’S ABOUT BRINGING
AWARENESS BECAUSE HE’S NOT THE
ONLY ONE THAT WILL GO THROUGH
THIS IS NOT THE ONLY OR NOT THE
ONLY FAMILY. THEY HAVE HAD A DIFFICULT DIAGNOSIS DELIVER TO US SO WE WANT THERE TO
BE HOPE.
>> LAST MONTH JACKSON’S HEALTH
TOOK A TURN FOR THE WORSE.
HIS ORGANS BEGAN TO
SHUT DOWN. ON APRIL FIRST WITH
HIS FAMILY BY HIS SIDE AND IN
HIS FATHER’S ARMS. HE
PEACEFULLY PASSED AWAY.
HIS FATHER, BRANDON POSTING A
TRIBUTE ON INSTAGRAM
SAYING HIS STRENGTH SWEETNESS
AND INCREDIBLE SPIRIT WILL LIVE
ON FLY HIGH AND RUN FAR SON.
YOU DESERVE IT ALL SO MUCH.
>> TRULY A SPECIAL BOY THERE I JUST GOT OFF THE PHONE WITH HIS FATHER HE’S IN
NORTH CAROLINA WITH JACKSON’S
MOTHER HIS GRANDPARENTS AND SO
MANY OTHER LOVED ONES
THEY ARE STAYING TOGETHER
DURING THIS
TIME REMEMBERING THE GOOD DAYS
AND THEY SAY THEY ARE SO VERY
THANKFUL THIS WAS A BOY THAT
THEY THOUGHT THEY MIGHT ONLY
HAVE FOR A FEW HOURS
OR DAYS. THEY BELIEVE THEY WERE
BLESSED WITH 5 WONDERFUL YEARS
WITH THEIR SON.
♪
>> PICK THEIR STORIES THAT
WE COVER THERE ARE STORIES THAT ARE PERSONAL THIS CLOTHING HAS BECOME PERSONAL
♪
FOR YOU.
>> YOU HAD A CHANCE TO HOLD
THAT BEAUTIFUL BOY IN YOUR
HOME.
AND NOW YOU’RE BRINGING US THE
NEWS THAT HE’S PASSED AWAY.
THIS IS JUST HEARTBREAKING
THAT.
♪
>> I GOT TOLD HIM SEVERAL TIMES AND SADLY WHEN I FIRST MET HIM AND
HIS FAMILY. I KNEW THAT SOMEDAY
I WOULD HAVE TO DELIVER THIS
NEWS,
HIS OBITUARY BUT AGAIN THE
FAMILY MEMBERS ARE SO THANKFUL
THAT THEY HAD HIM FOR 5 YEARS
BECAUSE THIS WAS A BABY
THAT WASN’T EXPECTED TO LIVE
PAST BIRTH, BUT LET ME
TELL YOU TOM EVERYONE WHO CAME
IN CONTACT
WITH JACKSON WHETHER IT WAS ON
THE INTERNET OR IN PERSON FELT
SOMETHING SPECIAL WHEN I HELD
HIM. I KNEW HE
WAS SO UNIQUE SUCH A WONDERFUL
CHILD AND FOR THOSE SHORT
MOMENTS WHEN HE WOULD LOOK UP
AT ME WE MADE EYE CONTACT HE
WOULD MAKE A LITTLE BIT OF
♪
A SMILE.
AND THE CONNECTION WAS JUST OUT
OF THIS WORLD IT REALLY WAS
INCREDIBLE AND IT’S SOMETHING I
WILL NEVER FORGET AND
VIC THAT.
>>MARY BAER: WE SHOULD JUST BE
SO GRATEFUL TO BRANDON AND
BRITTANY FOR SHARING YOUR
BEAUTIFUL PLAY WITH US IN FRONT
OF A STORY AND IT JUST GIVES