By Lou Pavlovich, Jr.
Editor/Collegiate Baseball
© 2022 Collegiate Baseball News


STOCKTON, Calif. — Jackson Vaughan has suffered more than any human should. The right-handed pitcher for the University of Pacific endured not one, but two, liver transplants as a 3-year-old when he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called hepatoblastoma. The two transplant surgeries took place over the course of six grueling days in 2003 and also included a 36-minute period where his heart stopped before it was revived. Incredibly, he didn't suffer any brain damage or other internal organ damage due to the length of his heart stoppage.
In all, Jackson was forced to stay at Stanford's Lucile Packard Pediatric Hospital for four months and then transitioned in and out of the hospital for another 30 days before he could finally go home for good. The price tag for all of his medical care ran well over $1 million that was fully paid by insurance. His journey through college as a 5-foot-8 pitcher is riveting as well as he has suffered setbacks but always came back with a vengeance. Jackson's dad Jeff explains the series of events that happened to his son as he became the first
NCAA athlete ever to play sports after a liver transplant. "When Jackson was two years old, we noticed a bump on his stomach and took him to our pediatrician," said Jeff. "He looked at it and wasn't concerned at all. He wanted us to monitor it to see if it grew. We went back in a couple of months and told him the bump was still there, and we were still concerned about it. The pediatrician didn't feel it was cause for concern. He didn't think it had changed, and let us know that kids sometimes get this." "Going into the fall, our entire family got the flu that was going around. It was nasty and hit all four of us. It hit Jackson really hard. He wasn't recovering and wasn't eating.
 
"So, my wife Jenny and I decided to take him to a different doctor. We went to an urgent care facility in town. They examined Jackson and didn't know what that bump was. They didn't think it was related to having the flu. They told us not to worry." After some time, elapsed, the family drove to Jenny's parents for Thanksgiving. "At that point, we took Jackson to our in-law's family doctor. He examined the bump and had no idea what it was. But he didn't like what he saw. He made a few phone calls and arranged for Jackson to be examined the next morning at Stanford's Lucile Packard Pediatric Hospital in Palo Alto, Calif. "So, we went in and met this young doctor. He felt Jackson's abdomen for about 20-30 seconds. Then he dropped a bombshell and said that Jackson probably has a very advanced tumor in his liver. It was most likely cancer. "It went from several doctors telling us not to worry…everything is fine…to the worst possible diagnosis a parent wants to hear. After further testing, it was determined that he had a rare form of cancer that started in his liver and spread to his lungs and lymph nodes around his heart. "In our hemisphere, one in 750,000 kids get this type of liver cancer."
 
11 Chemotherapy Sessions 

Jeff said that his son then went through a total of 11 chemotherapy sessions. Two thirds of them took place prior to liver transplant surgery. "The philosophy of what they were doing with this rare type of cancer was to try to shrink it down as small as they could. If you can't fully get it all with chemotherapy, you have to operate and cut it out. "The hope was that the small mass would be either on one side of the liver or the other. That way, you can get a clean resection of the tumor on part of the liver. Then you go back for more chemotherapy and try to kill whatever is left. "Unfortunately, in Jackson's case, the tumor in the center of his liver. His only option was to have his liver taken out and have another liver inserted." Jeff said surgeons performed the first liver transplant on his 3-year-old toddler.
"Everything seemed to go well. The first day after surgery, we were told the liver didn't look perfect, but
it wasn't bad. They were watching it very closely. "The second morning after the transplant, they were concerned with the numbers they were seeing. So, they took him back to the operating room for what they call a 'cleanout.' They open up all the staples on his stomach and took a look. They did the first 'cleanout' and rearranged the transplanted liver. "They stapled his stomach back up and wheeled him back into the pediatric intensive care unit. The next morning, they were concerned once again and thought one more adjustment would do the trick. They said it wasn't that unusual. So, Jackson went back into the operating room for a second 'cleanout' and opened up his stomach. "They determined that the liver was non-viable and dead. They were forced to take it out. "Then they attached Jackson to a machine that replicates the function of a liver. I wanted to know how long he could survive off this machine? They said that the longest anyone had survived without a liver and been on this machine was 3-4
days. "My reaction was, Oh, my God. We didn't have much time left with our son. What they had to do is get him stabilized. After that, they had to find another liver or use part of my wife's liver as a transplant. My wife and I weren't the same blood type as Jackson. "That was problematic, and they didn't want to use either of us for that reason." 
 
Jackson's Heart Stops 

Suddenly, Jackson's condition started to decline and became unstable. "That led to more instability, and they kicked me and my wife out of his intensive care room because everything was starting to go sideways for Jackson. "Then we heard an alarm go off with 'Code Blue' which means
someone had their heart stop," said Jeff who was choking back tears at the thought of that memory. "We knew it had to be Jackson. A nurse then came out and asked both of us to follow her. We walked in his room, and they were doing compressions on Jackson's chest. They were also using charged electric paddles in an effort to start his heart again. "There were 10-12 doctors and nurses in there with some jabbing needles into him, and he was bleeding out. It was insane. Finally, somebody decided that nothing was working. Someone then stuck a needle in his heart with some type of adrenaline. That got his heart started again. "We didn't know at the time because my wife and I were in our own personal hell. But it had been 36 minutes since his heart stopped beating. That is an unbelievably long time to go without a heartbeat. "Jenny and I are crying and happy. Then they informed us that Jackson was a long, long way from being out of the woods. They were concerned that his heart had been seriously damaged by this ordeal. No. 2, when your heart isn't beating, your kidneys can get damaged. No. 3, his brain might be fried. "So, they asked us to sign a Do Not Resuscitate Order. I said NO WAY! I won't sign it! They had a meeting with the top doctors in the hospital called a Tumor Board. They wanted all the authorities in the hospital to discuss Jackson having no heart beat for 36 minutes and the repercussions of that. "After all the evidence is brought forth, these people decide what the hospital will do about cases like this. My wife and I could not go into that meeting. Our transplant team told us that this was the single most confrontational Tumor Board she had ever been a part of. Doctors were yelling at each other. "Our transplant team was firm in their convictions that Jackson's brain was fine and wasn't dead. Because of all the cold blood being they put into him, it resulted in a self-induced coma which protected his brain. Other doctors didn't want any more resources being used on our son."
 
2 CAT Scans Ordered

The Tumor Board decided that two CAT scans must be performed 12 hours apart. "If they showed that his brain was badly damaged, then they would let him go. If his brain was OK, then we would figure out what to do next. "They performed the first CAT scan that night. But he was highly unstable, and we were warned that he could easily die transporting him out of the intensive care room to get the scan. So, we had to sign more papers. "He got through the CAT scan in good shape without incident and was taken back to his room. They analyzed the scan and said his brain
looked pretty good. "We couldn't sleep that night. The next morning, the second CAT scan took place and determined his brain looked good. Jenny and I were so relieved. "Then they dropped another piece of good news. They had another liver for him! "So, they took Jackson directly to surgery to perform another liver transplant. At that point, we both broke down and were in shock that this good fortune could happen to our young son. "He got the second liver. Another 15-20 days after the transplant, he was still in intensive care. Jackson was much better after this liver transplant. They didn't need any 'cleanout' this time. But there was still the issue that he was knocked
out and intubated." Intubation is a process where a healthcare worker inserts a tube through a person's mouth or nose, then down into their trachea (airway/windpipe). The tube keeps the trachea open so air can get through. The tube connects to a machine that delivers oxygen. "Doctors didn't know what kind of shape he would be in when he ultimately woke up. He might have permanent brain damage or not be able to talk or recognize who we were. Doctors just didn't know how he would react. "The day finally came when Jackson's main doctor felt he was ready to breathe on his own. They were ready to pull the intubation tube out and asked us to be prepared for anything he said or didn't say because they didn't know how he would react. "As the anesthesia wore off, Jackson began fidgeting around because nobody wants a tube down their throat. They pull the tube out, and he yells out, 'Get that thing out of me!' I knew he was back at that moment. That's our Jackson! "One of the nurses told us that Jackson had bitten a doctor at one point during this ordeal. We apologized on his behalf. But she immediately corrected me and told me he was a fighter. Typically, the fighters in life push through horrible situations that Jackson endured and survive." Her words were prophetic as he fully recovered over time. 
 
Bulldog Mentality
Jackson's dad said that he is extremely proud of his son's determination in being the best pitcher he possibly can even though he is only 5-foot-8. "It hasn't been easy for him in his baseball career either. He has learned how to be tougher than nails and became a very good pitcher with a fastball that has topped out at 94 mph. He has a big presence on the mound." Fighting for life and battling for a spot as a college pitcher are intertwined within the story of Jackson Vaughan. "I have never been considered a blue-chip pitcher when it comes to baseball," said Jackson who is 5-foot-8 and 185 pounds. "My pitching coach at Bakersfield (Calif.) High School told me that I would have to be better in a lot of different ways than pitchers who have it easier who are 6-foot-5. That's not to say pitchers with the ideal height and weight don't work hard. But they were given a set of God-given tools that every coach
and scout looks for. "In the grand scheme of things, nobody is ever going to choose me over a 6-foot-5 guy off the bat. I will never pass the eye test. It's not something I can control. But something I can control is my work
ethic. "That's where I excel. Sure, big pitchers have a better body than me. But I will not let them outwork me, out lift me, and I will prepare so much better than they ever could. So, what if I am short? Other people have been short and done extremely well as pitchers in baseball."
 
Rough Start To College
 
After he graduated high school, he was given a chance to play for U.C. Santa Barbara. Then he was cut. "I was ecstatic to go to U.C. Santa Barbara for my freshman year of college," said Vaughan. "Not a lot of people get a chance to go to a Big West program that is a powerhouse in and of itself and has made it to the College World Series. "I got there in the fall and started out hot and did great. Then my velocity started dropping, and Head Coach (Andrew) Checketts had to make to make a decision on what was best for the team. In his eyes, it was without me. "It sucked and really hurt me. That is all I wanted to do was play baseball. That got taken away from me. "So, I was forced to play in a redshirt Sunday league with my old high school coach. I was playing against 14 and 15-year-olds. I got through it, and I can't say it was the most enjoyable thing I ever did. But it was a way for me to play baseball."
 
Back On Track Again
 
Then he transferred to California junior college powerhouse Delta College for the 2020 season. He helped the Mustangs to a 16-5 record as he made nine appearances and struck out 24 in 12 innings before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the season. "Delta College was an amazing experience. They have a special coaching staff headed by Reed Peters. The teaching ability of that coaching staff is off the charts good. "There is a huge family over there, and every player wants to get better. That was easily one of the best years of my life. "I relaxed and was just myself and didn't worry about being cut. I had nothing to lose being an NCAA Div. I drop back. I just did the best I could." In 9 appearances, he posted a 1.50 ERA and struck out 24 batters with 4 walks over 12 innings. "That got me to Pacific. Unfortunately, my first season there was a tough one for me in 2021. It was my first full NCAA Div. I season. I wasn't performing the way I wanted to and suffered through a drop in velocity early on. That took my confidence with it." Vaughan made 15 appearances in 2021 for the Tigers and had a 6.11 ERA. He had 15 strikeouts along with 17 walks in 17 2/3 innings.
 
Pitching Great Again
 
This young man never quit and he was determined to show everyone what he could do in 2022. Currently, he leads the Pacific pitching staff with a 2.12 ERA in 13 appearances over 17 innings. He has struck out 15 batters and only walked seven. "I don't think I had the right mentality going into the 2021 season at Pacific. I was just trying to win games and get outs. None of that is really controllable. "Coming into the 2022 season, there was no way I was going to have a repeat of what happened in 2021. "Something had to change for me to enjoy baseball again. One of the ways I have done that is let go of things I can't control. "That might be an umpire's questionable call. I might firmly believe it is a strike, but he feels it was a ball. I have no control over an error, a bad play or missed call. "In the grand scheme of things, the only thing I can control is where the pitch goes. I am not focusing on anything else when I'm out there. I am just trying to execute each pitch. "I am not looking back on any of my pitching performances right now. I am just looking forward to the next pitch. "One of the important things I have done this year is NOT look at stats and don't care about my ERA. I am going out there and compete
to the best of my ability. "I only need to focus on what will happen with my next pitch. At the end of the year, I can look at my stats. But right now, I'm just trying to look forward."