SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) — A young man from Houston, Texas, battling terminal cancer was sworn in on Wednesday as an honorary officer with 15 area law enforcement agencies.
“Every time I get sworn in, it makes me feel great,” said Devarjaye “D.J.” Daniel.
The 12-year-old and his father, Theodis, have been all over the United States over the past nearly six years raising awareness about childhood cancer.
Today, they stopped by the Bossier Sheriff’s Office Substation on Viking Drive.
D.J. was diagnosed with brain and spinal cancer in 2018. Shortly after the diagnosis, he told his father he recognized the help law enforcement provides to those in need and wanted to be an honorary officer.
Since then, D.J. has been sworn in at 822 agencies across the country.
When Bossier Sheriff Julian Whittington heard about D.J., the office jumped at the chance to help.
“I said not only will we do it, but we’ll invite a few of our friends,” said Whittington. “And I think we ended up with 15 law enforcement agencies here today to swear him in and give him a badge.”
D.J. has been through 13 brain surgeries. He admits that he doesn’t know how much time he has left, so he’s making days like today count.
“As soon as you see that light leave your eyes, that’s when you know that God is calling you home,” he said. “On my 11th brain surgery, I woke up on a cloud. God told me I was one of his angels, and I am doing God’s work.”
“We are not promised tomorrow. But we do have control of what happens the next few minutes of our lives,” added Theodis. ” And it’s not just about being selfish. We are all in a big village and we all need to learn how to live together and try to help each other and support each other.”
Sheriff Whittington says today helped accomplish that goal.
“Law enforcement, of course, is not always fun, but this is something that we feel like we are really helping somebody. So it’s been a positive experience for us as well as this young man,” he said.
D.J. and his family will head to Many and Zwolle, Louisiana, on Thursday, where he will be sworn in as an honorary officer with those law enforcement agencies.