Jaxon Knowles: Heartbroken mum pays tribute to Sheffield Wednesday-mad son, 4, after tragic meningitis death
The mum of a Sheffield Wednesday-mad four-year-old has paid tribute to her son after he tragically died after contracting meningitis.
Jaxon Knowles sadly passed away in hospital surrounded by his family. His mum Sammy Knowles said her little boy was “my absolute hero”.
She said: “He loved animals and loved people... He’s come all over the world with us. We took him everywhere.”
Jaxon’s passing has left his family devastated. Particularly for Sammy and Jaxon’s dad, Jordan, who suffered three miscarriages before Jaxon was born.
“He was a special baby to us,” Sammy said. “Our life was just him.
“We almost gave up hope. We had one more go with a specialist fertility doctor.”
Jaxon was their miracle baby and was surrounded by love.
Sammy said: “Everybody loved him so much... ‘Little Bug’. Everybody knew him by that name. When he was a baby he’d always have bugs land on him or he caught them.”
A special tribute to Jaxon will take place on February 28, 2025, when his beloved Sheffield Wednesday take on Sunderland at Hillsborough Stadium.
In the fourth minute of the game, a minutes applause in Jaxon’s memory will ring out with a photo of the devout young Owls fan shown on the big screen.
“He’s just grown up following them,” Sammy said. “He watched them all the time on telly and went to games. He came home from school, stripped off and put his Sheffield Wednesday top on.
“He would sing all the songs, like the Barry Bannan one.”
Jaxon’s passing was a shock for the family with how sudden the four-year-old took ill.
“He fell ill and the next day he passed away,” Sammy said.
“We thought he had a temperature and a chest infection, but in half-an-hour it had gone down his body.”
Now, Jaxon’s extended family hope to raise more awareness around meningitis.
The disease can show limited symptoms and develops into a serious problem suddenly.
Jaxon’s family hope Sheffield Wednesday and Sunderland fans will all join in in the minute’s applause for Jaxon during the match next week, when his family will be in attendance.