Jax battles health scare

EAST BRUNSWICK – After months of silence, the "American Idol" finalist has let fans know that she has been battling thyroid cancer. The singer-songwriter dubbed "America's pop punk princess" was diagnosed in the spring and underwent surgery to remove the thyroid and several nearby lymph nodes.

Initially unsure of how to tell her story and her health outcome, Jax refrained from sharing the information on her popular social media accounts. Staying silent was not an easy feat for the talkative 20-year-old, but the Season XIV finalist needed some privacy to deal with the diagnosis, surgery and outcome.

During her year-long journey on "American Idol" — the show and tour — Jax suffered several health setbacks, becoming chronically ill with respiratory and exhaustion issues. As she was experiencing this more recent health scare, Jax said several well-meaning people in the know told her that "of all the cancers, thyroid cancer is the 'best' cancer to get."

"It is still cancer," said Jax in July at Gusto Grill, a local restaurant she frequents in her hometown.

READ: Jax advances to Top 11 on 'American Idol'

READ: Just-released single, video were therapeutic for Jax

READ: Jax marks her spot on the way to the top

At the time, Jax was not ready to go public with the news as she was still processing the impact of the surgery, ability to sing again and forthcoming need for radiation. Nervous, she still wanted to explain to her JaxPack why she was "MIA."

"I'm a total insomniac and professional over-thinker/crazy person so this is hard for me either way. Cancer is a tricky topic," she said. "The doctors are very optimistic about a full recovery. They have actually been a lot of fun. One of them even made me homemade hummus. I was really lucky to score with such an awesome surgical/nuclear medicine team at Cornell. I was even luckier that so many of them watched my season of 'American Idol.' I go into the hospital every time with a smile on my face. Things could always be worse."

Ever looking on the bright side or joking where others may not find the situation so funny, Jax said she always feels "kind of awkward about complaining or showing any emotion about serious things."

"The first thing I did when I found out about the cancer was crack a joke," she said. "My little bro knows me best. The second they wheeled me out of surgery he said, 'Man! I tried to warn you the music business was cut-throat.'  Thank God I have people in my life that were there to help me deal with this when my reality finally clicked for me. I'm a tough-guy, but I don't think I have ever experienced anything scarier."

To the finish line

Despite the difficulty of the diagnosis, Jax has chosen to participate in the 2016 TCS NYC Marathon on Nov. 6. On the top of her bucket list for years, she is fundraising for Tuesday's Children. Formed in the aftermath of Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001, Tuesday's Children is a response and recovery organization that supports youth, families and communities impacted by terrorism and traumatic loss. Jax and her father, a first responder during the attacks, have been longtime supporters of the nonprofit organization.

While "everyone" thinks she is "crazy" for undertaking this task right now, Jax admits she probably is — but with a "smile" on her face and the "stamina of Rocky Balboa."

"It is always an honor to contribute to the families of his brothers and our heroes," said Jax on her fundraising page. "I am so ecstatic to be working with Tuesday's ChildrenRunning has always been extremely cathartic for me. I have had some time to be with my own mind and reflect lately and I think it's time I give this thing a real shot! I am a very theatrical person, so crossing that finish line on November 6 is what I want to do. To officially prove I can kick this thing's ass."

Comparing the music industry to a marathon, Jax acknowledged that the past two years have been the "craziest of my entire life."

"The journey over the past few months has been incredible to say the least," she said. "I was able to share my love for music and the stage around the country on tour, release some of the material that I've been working on, perform on a massive global platform, and make the friends and support system of a lifetime. I feel so fortunate and I thank God everyday for the love and support that everybody has shown. I feel closer and closer to the finish line with every lyric."

A wakeup call

The diagnosis of cancer came the week after her sold-out show at Webster Hall in April. For Jax and her family, thyroid cancer was a huge shock and wakeup call.

"It took a lot for my family to toughen up and go through this with me," she said. "It was very unexpected. When you're 20 years old, you have this 'Superman' entitlement mentality. Like you're indestructible. And sometimes all it takes is God telling you it's time to take a break for you to understand that you are most certainly not."

Jax said that the life she has chosen is a stressful one.

"The work, pressure, and travel in music is not always so forgiving on the mind and heart," she said. "It absolutely takes its toll on your body and on your well-being in general. Sometimes I think the universe is yelling at me to slow down and I just blatantly ignore it. I have always been obsessed with my job and craft, so stopping and breathing isn't easy for me. However, my health has to come first. I understand that now."

Jax first felt something was not right when she was recording and going to press junkets out on the West Coast. Always a bundle of energy, she was tired, had no energy and was losing her voice often. Her moods were off. She came home to rehearse for the Webster Hall show.

"I noticed that I was waking up in a very dark place everyday," she said. "Stress has always been a weight in my life, but over the course of a few weeks something felt different. My happiness was the last concern on my priority list and my folks new something was definitely up. While grocery shopping with my parents, I felt a small lump on my throat."

As Jax said, she tends to "ignore bumps in the road — pun intended." But her parents felt it warranted a look by a doctor. A visit to a local Urgent Care center led to ultrasounds and tests. A diagnosis of Hashimoto's Disease, a type of hypothyroidism, was confirmed as were 18 tumors on her thyroid.

"After that diagnosis, my thyroid specialist wanted to double check and biopsy the tumors to make sure they were not cancerous," she said. "It is unlikely for thyroid cancer to occur in younger people."

While thyroid cancer is often considered "rare" and rarer still for a person of Jax's age, it has an impact of about 56,000 new cases in the U.S. each year, according to the National Cancer Institute. By a three-to-one ratio, females are more likely to have thyroid cancer. While thyroid cancer can occur in any age group, it is most common after age 30. Additionally, like in Jax's case, the first sign of thyroid cancer is a thyroid nodule."

"I went into the hospital for a biopsy on the tumors, performed my show at Webster Hall, and got a call from the hospital a few days later," she said. "It turned out that 12 out of the 18 tumors tested positive for cancer. After they took out my Thyroid, I have been undergoing radiation treatment in New York. I'm basically a radioactive spider."

Jax spent much of this summer at home. She saw her 18-year-old brother Matt off to boot camp at Parris Island with the U.S. Marine Corps in July — exciting yet scary at the same time. During her recovery, Jax said she had some "serious chill time to binge watch 'Game of Thrones' and 'Orange is The New Black.' She credits her friends and family with helping her deal with the seriousness and surprise of the cancer diagnosis.

Music remains a huge force in Jax's life. She continues to write and intends to release some new music in the fall — perhaps around the time of the marathon.

"Everyday I learn more and more about how powerful love is and how blessed I am to have music in my life," she said. "Music will always be there. And I'll always get by with a little help from my friends."

To donate to the JaxPack fundraiser page, go to https://www.crowdrise.com/jaxpack

Staff Writer Cheryl Makin: 732-565-7256; cmakin@mycentraljersey.com