At nine years old, Jason was an extremely active kid, constantly playing soccer and basketball. His dad, Rex, coached his basketball team and his older sister also played sports. Rex noticed that Jason would often come home with bruises.

It became clear that something was wrong, but it would be almost three years before he received a diagnosis of aplastic anemia. The condition occurs when the body stops producing enough new blood cells and leaves you feeling fatigued and with a higher risk of infections and uncontrolled bleeding.

“I missed school a lot,” said Jason. “I’d get tired a lot and would need to take naps throughout the day. Even my friends noticed that my face was getting pale.”

Rex said, “Pretty much everything he was into he was no longer allowed to do. No sports. He became an indoors kid.”

At 14, Jason’s platelet counts fell dangerously low and he was immediately put on a bone marrow transplant list. As there was no match in his family, they waited three months to find an anonymous donor. Shortly after his transplant, his doctor and social worker at Children’s Hospital LA referred him to Make-A-Wish. His condition, however, took a turn for the worse. It was a low point for the family who thought he might need a follow-up transplant.

During that time, Jason thought a lot about his wish, which kept his spirits up. He is a “New Year’s baby” – born January 1, 2000 – and he dreamed of visiting New York City to see the ball drop on his birthday. He saw it as the finish line after an eight-year battle and an incredible way to celebrate his 18^th birthday, reflect on his journey and look positively to the future.