#MollysKids: Baby Jaxxon Byrd. Three weeks old and already fighting.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - Lots of new amazing #MollysKids this week… honored to introduce us now to Jaxxon Ray Byrd, from Hickory.

This 3-week-old was born Nov. 25 with a rare skin condition called Ichthyosis. It affects roughly seven babies in every 300,000 at birth and at its essence, doesn’t allow a baby to sweat normally. Instead, his body loses electrolytes and fluids. It leads to dry, itchy skin that appears scaly, rough, red and is generally painful.

“It requires lifelong intensive care,” said his mom, Payton Byrd. “We’ve learned a lot in these three weeks here at Brenner Children’s Hospital (Winston-Salem). This skin condition causes severe pain and inflammation and many physical limitations. Jaxxon is a sweet little boy, and like other sick children in the world, didn’t ask for any of this. We are trying to heal him the best we know how and it breaks my heart.”

Just yesterday, Dec. 14, Jaxxon underwent surgery.

If in a couple of days it looks like that procedure was successful and he can hold his own temperature and appears stable, Payton said they might be able to go home.

“He is already handling pain like a champ,” she said.

What a tough thing to have to read about a 3-week-old.

Jaxxon has an older brother, Trevyn, who will be 12 next week, and a 2-year-old sister named Kendall.

“Trevyn can’t wait until his baby brother comes home, and Kendall already thinks Jaxxon is ‘her’ baby and talks about him all the time,” Payton said. “He also has a wonderful grandmother who can’t wait to see him and hold him and love him unconditionally.”

Currently, Payton said their family is looking into trying to get Jaxxon a special bathtub called a micro silk tub, which would help with exfoliating Jaxxon’s skin. This bathtub provides about 70% more oxygen than a regular tub and contains microbubbles that literally get inside the skin to exfoliate it while you’re bathing.

Payton said they’ll also be using Aquaphor most likely for life, and lots of Tylenol, and over-the-counter Ibuprofen, and Jaxxon will have twice-weekly physical therapy appointments to help with coordination of his hands and feet. He’ll also visit the dermatologist twice a month.

“He is a special boy and our family can’t wait until he can come home and be loved and nurtured,” Payton said. “We’d love to have everything at home to make life as normal as possible, but even if we don’t, we just can’t wait to get him home and be with him all the time. I’d love if you could feature Jaxxon as one of your #MollysKids to help educate about this rare condition that we are now faced with for the foreseeable future.”

Done. Welcome to this remarkable group of amazing kids, Jaxxon.