Players Mentioned
He’s Got Her Back
August 31, 2019 | Football, Features
Left tackle is the second highest-paid position in professional football. Why? Because it protects the highest-paid position's blind side.
USC junior and second-year starting left tackle Austin Jackson recognizes the importance of being a protector both on and off the gridiron. In a selfless act of love, Austin was his little sister's protector when he recently donated bone marrow in an attempt to heal her from a lifelong illness.
Autumn Jackson, Austin's little sister, was diagnosed at birth with a rare blood disorder called Diamond-Blackfan anemia. People with this condition do not make enough red blood cells to carry oxygen to other cells in their body.
Only a year and a half younger than Austin, Autumn and her brother were always close.
"My brother is my best friend," said Autumn. "Up until he went off to college, I was with him all the time."
Growing up, Autumn was an athlete like Austin.
"She used to run track and play volleyball," Austin said. "Unfortunately she had to stop because her conditioned worsened. But she was very athletic."
When Autumn's condition took a turn for the worse in middle school, she began to have regular blood transfusions.
"She doesn't look like she's sick so she doesn't get the same treatment from others as someone who does look it," said Austin. "Not a lot of people are aware of her situation, so that's pretty tough for her to carry by herself."
During Austin's freshman year at USC, his mother contacted him about a way he could potentially help his sister.
"My mom told me about the option of being a bone marrow donor for Autumn," he said. "It was just an early idea at the time. She said they would have to blood test potential donors, and she asked if I wanted to be tested."
With no hesitation, Austin said yes.
"They say the best match is someone in the family," Austin said. "Then you have to go through 12 different blood tests. They hope to match in about seven or eight out of 12 tests to be a good donor. But luckily, I was a 12 out of 12."
Being a perfect 12 out of 12 donor match is quite rare.
"I remember being so happy," said Autumn when she found out Austin was a perfect match. "For me, it was amazing because we are so close and I always felt like we're the same person in a way. I think it was beautiful that he was truly a perfect match for me."
Said Austin: "It was crazy! I was really excited. I was really thankful because I had been praying a lot about being a match for her."
After Austin's status as a donor had been confirmed, the siblings scheduled to have the donation procedure take place this summer.
"She wanted to graduate high school before having the procedure," said Austin. "She was going to have to go through chemo and her body wasn't going to be functioning well. She graduated in May and we scheduled the procedure for June."
Jackson made Coach Clay Helton aware of the potential transfusion as a freshman. He returned to Helton earlier this year when he found out he was a perfect match, as the procedure would potentially cost him months of summer conditioning.
"I told him I was a match and I that wanted to do it," Jackson said. "He was ecstatic and was very happy that I could have this opportunity to help my sister. He was so great about the entire thing."
In order to prepare for the surgery, Austin went home and tried to stay out of public as much as possible to avoid germs.
"They didn't want me to be in contact with anyone," said Austin. "I stayed at home as much as I could. I was a clean freak for a month and a half. Washing my hands constantly. Being careful of what I touched."
Although Austin was missing summer workouts at USC, he was determined to find ways to stay in football shape.
"There's a gym I would go to sometimes when there wasn't a lot of people there," Austin said. "I would have to clean the equipment really well to make sure everything was super sterile. I still wanted to train so I didn't lose muscle mass, but I had to be really conscious that I was being as sterile as possible while in a public gym. My high school also let me work out when no one was around."
As the date for the procedure neared, Autumn began to get more nervous.
"I wasn't scared until about a week before I was supposed to be admitted," she said. "Austin helped me calm down a lot. He was telling me that everything was going to be okay. He told me, 'You're a fighter and you'll get through it.'"
Austin's procedure was first and lasted three hours. The doctors took a large needle and inserted it into his hipbone via his lower back. Then they gradually took out bone marrow a little at a time.
"I remember when I woke up from the anesthesia, my back was super stiff," he said. "It felt like I had been stabbed in the back, but it makes sense, because that's what happened."
After his surgery, Austin immediately went to see Autumn.
"When he was done and cleared to leave, he came upstairs to see me," she said. "I was shocked because I was like, 'Don't you want to go home?' But no, he came to see me and we took pictures together. It made me so happy to see him."
The next day, Autumn received Austin's bone marrow in a process that was almost identical to a blood transfusion. While recovering in the hospital, Autumn began the engraftment process and her body began to make its own cells. After 20 days, she was able to go home ahead of schedule.
"I was grafting about a week after I received the cells which is very good," said Autumn. "That's why I ended up going home early. However, for my immune system to fully recover, it can take up to six months or more."
Austin never hesitated when deciding to give this beautiful gift to his sister.
"I embrace my role as a protector," he said. "It's all I do on the football field. And I do it as an older brother. I'm supposed to watch over my little sister."
"I love my brother so much," said Autumn. "This is such a huge thing that he has done for me without even second guessing it. I don't even know what I could ever do in return except to love him and support him."
Autumn is excited for the next stage of her life as her health continues to improve.
"I'm looking forward to being more active," she said. "I live in Arizona so there are lots of mountains. Every time I would go on hikes, I could never make it to the top. I want to go on a hike and make it all the way to the top of a mountain."
And no doubt, Austin will be there watching over her and cheering her on as she reaches the highest peak.
