Jason Tolson age 30 of Yorkshire, UK had not been diagnosed when he first began to have symptoms in May 2022. Jason began to experience muscle and joint pain as well as rapid weight loss, thinning hair, and sores on various parts of his body.
The Mirror reports that his doctor performed MRI and CT scans to either confirm or exclude a diagnosis of cancer. The family was very relieved when they were told Jason did not have cancer. However, Dean was told that Jason’s health issues, which now appeared to be just as severe as cancer, were a result of his immune system attacking his body.
Jason’s heart rate and blood pressure readings became critical. He was taken to the Pinderfields hospital. Dean recalls that his lungs were so damaged he was unable to breathe independently and was given oxygen. Jason’s doctors confirmed a diagnosis of anti-MDA5 dermatomyositis. He was prescribed a combination of sixteen steroids and drugs in an attempt to treat his disease.
A Legacy of Kindness
His family describes Jason as a kind and caring young man. He began dating his girlfriend Jade when they were in high school. The couple had just started planning to buy their first home when the disease changed their lives.
Jade’s father, Dean Blakley, became the family’s spokesperson. He explained how Jason died suddenly this year on New Year’s Day. Dean said that Jason was not noticeably sick a month prior to his sudden death. It happened so fast.
Dean described how the illness just exploded on New Year’s Day. Even though Jason was put into ICU, Dean reported that the doctors did not have enough time to save his life. They gave the family the choice of either increasing the oxygen and keeping Jason alive for a short time or shutting it off. Dean explains that rather than prolong Jason’s suffering they opted to turn the oxygen off. Jason died ten minutes later.
Dean feels that with more awareness of the disease, it may be diagnosed earlier and save precious lives.
He is now determined to spread awareness about Anti-MDA5 Dermatomyositis. He anticipates that each new case will bring researchers closer to developing effective drugs that will prevent or even cure this devastating disease.
A fundraiser has been established to help pay for Jason’s funeral costs.
