Who Was Boaz Dov Wong?
Boaz Dov Wong came into this world on May 28, 2000, as the first of twin boys born to actor BD Wong and his partner Richie Jackson. His parents chose his name carefully, making sure it carried the “BD” initials that had been in the family for generations, passed down from his great-grandfather Bill D.
The little guy arrived way too early—three months before he was supposed to—along with his twin brother Jackson Foo Wong. Right from the start, Boaz was fighting an uphill battle that would prove too much for his tiny body to handle.
What happened next would push BD Wong to do something he’d never done before: open up about his private life in a way that shocked everyone who knew him.
The Journey to Parenthood
BD Wong and Richie Jackson had been together for fifteen years when they decided to start a family. Their relationship was rock-solid, with Jackson being the kind of guy who, as Wong once put it, “never steps off the curb until the light turns green.”
Getting to parenthood wasn’t going to be simple for them. They went the surrogacy route, with BD providing the sperm and Richie’s sister Sue stepping up to donate her eggs. It was a real family affair, showing just how committed everyone was to making this dream happen.
Their surrogate lived in Modesto, California, and for months everything seemed to be going perfectly. BD and Richie were over the moon, getting ready to welcome not just one baby, but twins.
A Premature Birth During Memorial Day Weekend
Everything changed during Memorial Day weekend 2000, when their surrogate went into labor at just 28 weeks. What should have been a relaxing holiday weekend turned into a medical emergency that would change their lives forever.
The timing felt especially cruel. BD and Richie raced to the hospital, expecting to welcome their sons into the world, but they had no idea they were about to experience the highest highs and lowest lows of their lives within just a few hours.
Boaz Dov was born first, with Jackson Foo following about fifteen minutes later. For those first precious moments, BD and Richie felt that incredible rush that all new parents know. But it didn’t take long for the doctors to realize something was seriously wrong.
Understanding Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome
The twins were dealing with something called twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, or TTTS for short. It’s a pretty rare condition that happens when identical twins share a placenta, and the blood flow between them gets all messed up.
Here’s how it works: abnormal blood vessels in the shared placenta mean one twin doesn’t get enough blood while the other gets way too much. The twin who doesn’t get enough—that was Boaz—becomes anemic and can’t develop properly. Meanwhile, the other twin has to deal with having too much blood, which brings its own set of problems.
TTTS only happens in about 10-15% of identical twin pregnancies where the babies share a placenta. It can range from mild to severe, and in the worst cases, like what happened to the Wong family, it can be deadly.
The Loss of Boaz Dov Wong
Boaz Dov Wong was the donor twin, which meant he got the worst of this condition. He was born way underweight and his little body was already struggling with severe anemia. Despite everything the medical team tried to do, it just wasn’t enough.
Boaz Dov Wong died 90 minutes after he was born. His parents barely had time to hold him, to really understand that they were both celebrating his birth and mourning his death at the same time.
But there wasn’t time to process what had just happened. Jackson Foo Wong was fighting for his life too, weighing just 2 pounds and 13 ounces when he was rushed to intensive care. BD and Richie had to put their grief on hold and focus everything they had on keeping their surviving son alive.
BD Wong’s Transformation Through Tragedy
The next three months were unlike anything BD Wong had ever experienced. He basically lived at the hospital, first staying in a nearby motel and then moving in with his parents in San Francisco so he could be close to Jackson.
During this incredibly tough time, Wong started sending emails to friends and family about Jackson’s progress. What began as simple updates turned into something much deeper—detailed, personal, and sometimes surprisingly funny accounts of what it was like to be a new dad in the most impossible circumstances.
This was huge for Wong, who had always kept his personal life completely private. The whole experience broke down walls he’d built up over years, and suddenly he was sharing parts of himself he’d never shared before.
Legacy and Lasting Impact
All those emails BD Wong wrote during Jackson’s hospital stay eventually became a book called “Following Foo: The Electronic Adventures of the Chestnut Man,” published in 2003. The book didn’t just tell the story of those three months—it became a deeper look at what it means to be a parent, to lose a child, and to figure out who you are in the process.
Jackson Foo Wong didn’t just survive—he thrived. He grew up to be a confident kid who came out as gay when he was 15. In a way, his survival is a tribute to his twin brother Boaz and proof of how hard his parents fought for him during those early days.
The story of Boaz Dov Wong has had an impact way beyond just his family. It’s become an important story in LGBTQ+ communities, showing both the challenges and the incredible joy that can come with same-sex couples having kids. BD Wong’s decision to share something so personal helped make conversations about gay parenting more normal and open.
Today, when people remember Boaz Dov Wong, they’re reminded of how fragile life can be, but also how loss can lead to growth and bring people closer together. Those 90 minutes of life created waves that are still felt today—in his father’s work, in his brother’s life, and in how we all think about what family really means.
