A family's Christmas has been shattered after a car crash left their 14-month-old son, who is already battling cancer, with a broken spine and severe internal injuries.
A 'Living Hell' for Hunter Family
The devastating collision occurred on Christmas Eve near the Stockland Green Hills shopping centre in Maitland. Jaxson Simpson was a passenger in the car with his father, Justin Simpson, after they had been Christmas shopping.
"We had literally driven 200 metres down the road from the shopping centre. We stopped in traffic for someone to parallel park and a car hit us from behind," Justin Simpson recounted. "You couldn't write a book this bad, honestly. It's a living hell."
The impact was catastrophic for little Jaxson. The crash broke four vertebrae and caused compression fractures in his back. It also perforated his bowel, an injury linked to a serious infection related to his ongoing chemotherapy treatment.
A Fight on Two Fronts: Cancer and Catastrophic Injury
At the time of the accident, Jaxson was already in the fight of his life. He had been diagnosed with a 10-centimetre tumour on his spine in October and had undergone two major surgeries. He had been receiving chemotherapy and was only 16 days out of hospital when the crash happened.
"He is in immense pain. He's on three times the amount of pain meds he was on after the surgeries," his father said. Jaxson was rushed to the John Hunter Children's Hospital, where he spent four days in intensive care battling an illness exacerbated by a low white blood cell count.
His parents' lives are completely on hold. Both Justin and Taya Simpson have been unable to work since Jaxson's cancer diagnosis last year. The accident has compounded their crisis, with Justin suffering a torn Achilles tendon and a slipped disc, and Taya also sustaining a serious back injury.
Crush of Collateral Damage
The aftermath of the crash extends beyond the physical injuries. The family's vehicle, a Toyota Corolla bought for their daughter who is about to get her licence, was written off. It was the last registered car they had, after both parents' own vehicles had previously broken down and fallen out of registration.
The crash also destroyed Christmas presents for their other children—Annaliese, 16, Lincoln, 5, and Dean, 16. Collectible cars were crushed, a remote-control monster truck was bent, and brand-new shoes were damaged.
"I was due to go back to work last week, but our whole life has been tipped upside down again," Mr Simpson said. The family from Rutherford is now focusing solely on Jaxson's day-to-day recovery, which includes difficulties keeping food down since the accident.
A GoFundMe campaign titled 'Jaxson's super hero fight and keeping his daddy by his side' has been established to provide crucial financial support for the family during this unimaginable time.
