REALITY TVTLC’s Jay & Pamela Sparks Baby Buzz: Are Kids in Their Future?
TLC’s dynamic duo Jay Manuel and Pamela Chavez have captured hearts while raising awareness about osteogenesis imperfecta type 3.
March 17 2025, Published 10:35 a.m. ET
TLC’s dynamic duo Jay Manuel and Pamela Chavez have captured hearts while raising awareness about osteogenesis imperfecta type 3, a rare genetic disorder they both bravely navigate. But now fans are left wondering: can this extraordinary couple really start a family of their own?
TLC’s dynamic duo Jay Manuel and Pamela Chavez have captured hearts while raising awareness about osteogenesis imperfecta.
What on Earth is Osteogenesis Imperfecta Type 3?
Known as brittle bone disease, osteogenesis imperfecta “is an inherited (genetic) bone disorder that is present at birth,” as detailed by Johns Hopkins Medicine. One or both parents can pass down the disease, leading to fragile bones that can break with the slightest provocation.
Most infants born with this condition struggle with a defect in genes essential for collagen production. This means their bones have a tough time staying strong.
Manuel and Chavez navigate daily life in the TLC series 'Jay & Pamela.'
Can They Have Kids?
According to the Brittle Bone Society, people with osteogenesis imperfecta type 3 can shuffle into parenthood.
Women with this condition may carry a child, depending on how their symptoms play out, while couples with one partner affected by osteogenesis imperfecta have a 50 percent chance of welcoming a little one with the same condition.
Pamela (R) and Jay (L) said their doctors didn't think they would survive childhood.
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A Love Born from Shared Struggles
Manuel and Chavez found solace in each other's experiences, meeting online and dating long-distance for a year. Chavez soon made the big move to live with Manuel and his family. “Our condition is super rare,” Manuel shared candidly during season 1 of Jay & Pamela, which debuted on TLC on March 4. “My parents were told I wouldn’t make it past 5 years old.”
On the flip side, Chavez revealed doctors believed she would “die before the age of 1 year old.” Together, they’ve faced challenges head-on, racking up over 400 fractures in their lives. “It can be something as simple as rolling out of bed, taking a deep breath,” Manuel lamented, as Chavez chimed in, “I literally have a broken rib right now.”
“With osteogenesis imperfecta type 3, it causes fragile bones. So we break easily,” she added, reinforcing the reality they live with daily.
Baby Talk: Their Family Future
In a March 2025 exclusive with Parade, the couple opened up about the prospect of expanding their family.
“It’s conversations that we’ve had about it and I think again, it’s taking it one day at a time [...] We’re taking it step by step even though we don’t take any steps,” Manuel joked, creating a lighthearted moment amidst serious discussions.
“But we’re talking it step by step with everything and defining that family unit for us… It’s definitely something that we’ve talked about and discussed.”
The couple may be open to having kids in the future.
And Chavez is leaving the door open for possibilities, hinting that their dreams of parenthood might just be achievable. “It’s not off the table at all. “It’s an ongoing conversation, and I mean just in general, I mean, parenthood is already a huge responsibility in general… So yeah, I don’t know, there’s a lot of things that I said I would never do and then like, here I am," she said.
Tune in to Jay & Pamela on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET on TLC.
