Video: A Childhood Friend Keeps Her Promise

ABERDEEN, Miss. (WCBI)-This week is homecoming for Aberdeen High School.

On Thursday, the homecoming court and their escorts rode throughout downtown in their annual parade, and inside one of the cars was a friendly and familiar face to many.

“We was like Markel,” said Cheryly McBride, Jackson’s mother. “We haven’t been to a homecoming since we’ve been out of school, so Markel on the court, oh we’ll be there then.”

Markel Jackson is a special needs student at Aberdeen High School. He was diagnosed with sickle cell disease at birth.

“He’s had a total of 14 strokes at the brain which took his ability to swallow and speak,” said McBride.

But the remarkable 17- year old is beating the odds.  Family members said there were a few times when doctors said Jackson wasn’t going to make it.

“It’s a lot of stuff that he wants to do and he can’t do it,” his mom explained. “The fact that he really wants to play football or basketball but he can’t, I don’t think he lets that get to him.”

Instead of getting down, Jackson continues to push through and he keeps a smile on his face, and that smile was on display during the homecoming parade as he escorted junior-maid Darstina Thomas.

“I was trying out last year and I didn’t get it, so I said if I get it this year I was going to choose him, but he didn’t know I was going to choose him so it was kind of like a surprise,” said Darstina Thomas, the junior-maid that Jackson is escorting.

Thomas said it was important for her to keep her promise to her childhood friend.

“I was going to keep it,” she said. “I said I was going to choose him so I did.”

That promise kept by Thomas has turned into one of the most memorable moments of Jackson’s life.

Parade goers waved and took pictures as Jackson and Thomas passed by.  Family members said just by seeing the enthusiastic Jackson waving and smiling in the parade brings a sense of joy throughout the entire community.

“He’s my motivator, I mean he keeps me going,” said McBride.

“He’s telling everybody and showing everybody that anybody can do things despite their disability,” said Thomas.