>> Vic: DEFYING THE ODDS.
THE LITTLE BOY WHOSE STORY IS
INSPIRING ALL ACROSS THE WORLD.
BORN WITH AN INCURABLE BRAIN
MALFORMATION AND DOCTORS DID NOT
EXPECT HIM TO LIVE BUT A FEW
DAYS.
NEW HE'S 2 YEARS OLD, HIS
PERSEVERANCE AND STRENGTH HAVE
HELPED HIM ACCOMPLISH SO MANY
POSSIBLE.
IT IS ONE REASON WHY HE'S CALLED
JACKSON STRONG.
>> ARE YOU COMING TO GET THE
CAMERA.
>> Vic: HIS PARENTS SAY EVERY
SINGLE BREATH HE TAKES IS A
BLESSING.
...
>>> YOU LOOKING AT MOMMY.
TODAY.
>>> HE HAS DEFIED THE ODDS AND
WE DON'T MIND USING THOSE WORDS
AT ALL BECAUSE WE LISTENED TO
WHAT THE DOCKS ALWAYS HAD TO SAY
AND WHAT HIS PROGNOSIS WOULD BE.
>>> HE IS DEFINITELY A MIRACLE.
>>> HIS MOTHER FIRST FOUND OUT
SOMETHING WAS WRONG WHEN SHE WAS
JUST 17 WEEKS PREGNANT.
HE WAS EVENTUALLY DIAGNOSED WITH
A SEVERE BRAIN MALFORMATION
CALLED MICROHYDRANENCEPHLY.
IT IS RARE AND NO CURE.
TOLD MOM AND DAD THAT THEIR
FIRST CHILD WOULDN'T SURVIVE
MORE THAN A FEW DAYS.
SOME SUGGESTED AN ABORTION.
BUT THE PARENTS, DEVOUT
CHRISTIANS, DECIDED TO GO ON.
>>> WHENEVER WE'RE GOING TO PLAY
GOD WE GAVE HIM A FIGHTING
CHANCE.
>>> AND O AUGUST 27th,
2014, WEIGHING LESS THAN FOUR
POUNDS, JACKSON WAS BORN.
>> YOU'VE GOT TO KEEP IT THERE.
>>> BORN WITH MORE ENERGY AND
LIFE THAN ANYONE EXPECTED.
HE GREW STRONGER EVERY DAY AND
SHOCKED THE EXPERTS.
>> HE'S OUR LITTLE HERO.
>> GOOD JOB.
THERE YOU GO, BUDDY
JACKSON IS SUCH A GIFT.
AND THIS MORNING WE ARE SO LUCKY
TO HAVE THAT LITTLE BOY AND HIS
PARENTS BRITTHENY AND BRANDON
HERE IN TOWN JUST TO BE HERE ON
THE MORNING SHOW AND JUST TO
GIVE US AN UPDATE.
MOST OF THAT VIDEO WE SAW WAS
FROM ABOUT A YEAR AGO.
AN MAN, HE'S GROWN A LOT.
IT IS THE HAIR I REALLY LOVE.
AND I KNOW THAT HE'S KIND OF H
A TUMULTUOUS MORNING, BUT HE'S
HERE AND HAPPY AND HIS EYES ARE
OPEN AND EYES ARE AWAKE, GOOD
MORNING, JACKSO
>>> GOOD MORNING THERE ARE SO
MANY PEOPLE WHO FOLLOW YOUR
STORY, ABOUT HALF A MILLION
PEOPLE ON FACEBOOK ALONE AND
THAT IS INCREDIBLE.
PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD
REALLY CARE ABOUT THIS BOY AND
LOVE THIS BOY AND I'VE SEEN
PEOPLE JUST CRY WHEN THEY'VE
GOTTEN TO MEET HIM.
DOING.
HE LOOKS GREAT.
>>> HE'S DOING VERY WELL.
HE IS STILL UP AGAINST A LOT.
HE HAS HIS CHALLENGES EVERY
SINGLE DAY WHERE HE STILL THROWS
UP SEVERAL TIMES A DAY SEIZURES
SEVERAL TIMES A DAY.
HE GETS VERY EXCITED, YOU'LL SEE
A LOT OF SMILE, A LOT OF HIM
TRYING TO MIMIC WORDS.
SO CONSIDERING ALL THAT HE'S UP
AGAINST AND A AND HE ACTUALLY
SHOWS EVERY DAY HOW HAPPY HE IS.
>> Vic: WITH HIS HEALTH
PROBLEMS, IT IS REALLY
SURPRISING TO SEE HIM SITTING
UP, TO SEE HIM SMILING AND
OWN.
>> HE'S DOING FANTASTIC.
HONESTLY JUST, FOR HIM TO BE
ABLE TO HOLD HIS HEAD UP LIKE
THIS IS A MIRACLE IN ITSELF.
IT IS JUST GREAT.
>>> LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS BOOK.
DON'T BLINK, YOU ALL ARE
RELEASING IT FOR THE FIRST TIME
ON TV HERE ON THE MORNING SHOW,
WHICH IS INCREDIBLE.
AND IT IS AVAILABLE NOW FOR
PURCHASE.
AND TELL ME WHY YOU DECIDED TO
TAKE MISSTORY AND PUT INTO IT A
BOOK HERE.
>> THE IDEA WAS AN APPROACH TO
US AND WE HADN'T THOUGHT ABOUT
IT.
WE THOUGHT IT WAS ONE OF THE
BEST FORMATS TO HAVE SOMEONE
TRULY HAVE THEIR TIME TO STOP
AND HEAR JAX STORY TO READ IT TO
LEARN ABOUT IT AND ANYTHING WE
ADVOCATE FOR, WHETHER IT IS
THROUGH OUR FAMILY AND
FOUNDATION THAT WE HAVE
DEDICATED TO JACKSON, IT IS
ABOUT BRINGING AWARENESS.
IT HE IS NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT
WILL GO THROUGH THIS.
WE'RE NOT THE ONLY FAMILY THAT
HAVE HAD A DIFFICULT DIAGNOSIS
DELIVERED TO US.
WE WANT THERE TO BE HOPE AND A
PURPOSE IN EVERY SINGLE LIFE.
FOUNDATION.
IT REALLY IS IN ITS INFANTACY
BUT ALREADY DOING VERY WELL.
>>> YES, IT IS.
>>> IT WAS ESTABLISHED THIS
MARCH AND OUR WHOLE PURPOSE,
WHOLE MISSION BEHIND IT IS TO
RAISE AWARENESS AND FUNDS FOR
NEUROLOGICAL RESEARCH.
ADVOCATING FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO
LIVE WITH A DISABILITY AND IT IS
BELIEVING THAT EVERY LIFE HAS
VALUE AND PURPOSE WHICH WE
CERTAINLY BELIEVE THAT.
AND THAT IS JACKSON WRAPPED UP
IN AN ENTIRE PURPOSE.
>>> NOW THAT JACKSON HAS
INTERNATIONAL FAME, YOU, TOO,
ARE IN THE SPOTLIGHT.
AND YOU SAID YOU'RE JUST NORMAL
PARENTS FROM CENTRAL FLORIDA.
>>> WE ARE.
>>> WE'RE NORMAL PARENTS THAT
HAVE AN EXTRAORDINARY CHILD AND
JUST DO WHAT WE CAN WITH ANY
OTHER PARENT WOULD DO.
>>> YOU'VE BEEN SO INCREDIBLY
STRONG, JUST LIKE HIM, JUST LIKE
MY BUDDY, I GET TO SEE HIM A
COUPLE OF TIMES A YEAR SINCE WE
MET.
TELL ME WHAT IS NEXT WHAT IS IN
O.
>> I THINK GOD ONLY KNOWS THAT.
WE WERE TOLD HE WOULDN'T BE HERE
AT THIS POINT.
LITERALLY EVERY SINGLE DAY IS A
MIRACLE FOR US THAT WE HAVE HIM
ONE MORE DAY, ONE MORE DAY.
WE JUST TRY TO MAKE EVERY DAY
SPECIAL AND WE DON'T KNOW WHAT
THE FUTURE HOLDS.
BUT WE DON'T FOCUS ON THAT.
WE FOCUS ON THE BLESSING THAT HE
IS FOR OUR FAMILY AND GIVING HIM
EVERYTHING THAT HE COULD
POSSIBLY EVER NEED
>> Vic: YOU GUYS ARE A GREAT
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
AND LOOK, I LOVE IT BECAUSE HE
WAS SQUEALING ON THE WAY IN.
AND HE WAS HAVING TROUBLE THIS
MORNING AND WE WEREN'T EVEN SURE
THE SHOW.