2017 – Dream Child Jackson

Jackson was diagnosed with Type I spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) at the age of 3 months. Spinal Muscular Atrophy is a disease that robs people of physical strength by affecting the motor nerve cells in the Spinal Cord, taking away the ability to walk, eat, or breathe. It is the number one genetic killer of children under the age of 2.

When Jackson was six months old he was accepted into a clinical trial at Nemours in Orlando. Jackson’s mom and dad, Heath and Jammie, were faced with the decision to move from Michigan to Florida and only had an hour to decide if they were willing to move to Florida. With the help of Jammie’s Aunts and Uncles in Florida they packed up their car, Jackson and also Jackson’s big brother Ty and left Michigan two days later.

Jackson has been in the clinical trial since July 1, 2014. Jackson is 18 out of 20 children in the country to receive this groundbreaking drug in Phase 2 of Clinical trial. The trial consists of spinal injections every four months. On December 23, 2016 Spinraza was officially FDA approved! This is the first ever treatment for SMA!

Today, three years later Jackson is thriving! 90% of children with Type I SMA do not live to see their 2^nd birthday and December 6, 2016 Jackson turned 3! Words cannot express how grateful we are to be blessed with Jackson and all the opportunities we have had to give Jackson a chance at life.

Fishing for Dreams Tournament Record Holders (as of 2012)