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12-year-old with rare cancer sworn in more than 800 times as honorary police officer
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MANSFIELD, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – The City of Mansfield in DeSoto Parish holds its council meetings twice a month, but on March 25, Mayor Thomas Jones said it was "the most touching meeting he's conducted."
Devarjaye "DJ" Daniel is 12 years old and has undergone 13 surgeries.
He has a rare brain and spine cancer with no cure. His father, Theodis Daniel, says DJ fights for his life daily.
"We've dedicated our lives and the time that we have left to get people to think about their lives and, you know, just appreciate life and the things that you have," Theodis Daniel said.
DJ, a resident of Houston, dreams of spreading awareness of childhood cancer by accomplishing his goal of getting sworn in to as many law enforcement agencies as possible.
He has been sworn into 821 agencies nationwide as an honorary police officer, and the Mansfield Police Department saw the opportunity to help as a blessing, Chief Christopher Johnson said.
"With DJ, you know that is heart-touching," Johnson said. "A young man wants to be in law enforcement at his age, you know that's also, like I said, a testament on top of a blessing. With his rare condition and still wants to push through and be an officer, you know that's, you know I still have a little bit of goosebumps about that."
Assistant Chief Michelle C. Thomas received the call from DJ's father on Feb. 15. The department got the new young officer's uniform, badge and commission card.
Theodis Daniel chose the city of Mansfield because it holds a special place in their family's life. The family had been in the city since the 1900s, but Theodis Daniel's grandfather and brothers had to leave.
"We're from here," Daniel said. "So, a long long time ago, way back in the 1900s, my grandfather and his brothers had to leave Mansfield and walk to Center and that's where one of my uncles was lynched and they made a postcard and it circulated all over the country."
When DJ was asked how he was feeling, he said no one had ever asked him that.
"I'm feeling pretty great," he said.
His swearing-in was full of laughter as the DJ made jokes with the officers. DJ and his father say they are not done, as they have more such ceremonies planned in Texas, Arizona and California
"We started off with a goal, something small as 100, and that went so fast, after that, it just kept on going," said Theodis Daniel.
DJ says he will go "until his gas tank runs out."
"When God calls me home."