GONZALES — Last year, baby Jackson Virga was diagnosed with JMML, a very rare form of leukemia that occurs in 1-2 cases per 1 million people. Today, he’s the recipient of a bone marrow transplant and doctors say he now has no leukemia cells in his blood or bone marrow.
Jackson just turned 1 on April 23rd, and he’s starting this new year with positive news.
Earlier this year, Jackson began preparing for a bone marrow transplant. His family shared that the donor was a 100% match. The procedure took place in late March after rigorous testing and preparation.
His mother, Janay LeJeune, said that Jackson’s bone marrow is now 100% the donor’s marrow and all signs of JMML are gone from his blood.
Jackson and his parents will stay in Memphis for another two months or so for continued observation before they can return home to Louisiana. Once they come home, they will still have to go to St. Jude’s every other week for testing to ensure Jackson is staying in remission.
This will continue for six months, and after that time, if things are still looking good, Jackson will graduate to going once a month, then every three months, and then every six months. Eventually, he will only need to go for a checkup once a year for five years.
“So we still have a long road ahead, but we are definitely in a good spot as of now,” said Janay LeJeune.
Back in March, the family was awarded a check for $6,000 from a raffle fundraiser put on by La Petite Papillons. This money allowed them the peace of mind to pay house bills while focusing on Jackson’s care, his mother shared because both parents no longer had jobs.
Another fundraiser will take place this June to benefit Jackson and his family at Carretas Grill in Slidell, where Jackson’s father is from. The event will take place on June 20, and raffle tickets can be purchased by contacting Lisa Virga at (504) 957-7255 and through Venmo (information below).
Tickets are $10/piece or three tickets for $25.
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