Devarjaye “DJ” Daniel, the 13-year-old with cancer who received an honorary Secret Service agent badge from President Donald Trump, is speaking out about his personal health journey.
During his address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night, Trump honored the boy, who is fighting brain cancer. The room erupted in applause and standing ovations.
“I am very thankful that Donald Trump invited us down here, and I was not expecting for a lot of people to be over there,” DJ Daniel told Fox News Digital.
On Wednesday, the day after Trump’s speech, DJ Daniel was invited to visit the president in the Oval Office, “where Special Agent Daniel gave the President a ‘big hug,'” the White House announced on Instagram.
DJ Daniel was diagnosed in September 2018 with high-grade ependymoma and anaplastic, a thyroid tumor. He was also diagnosed with cataracts.
“The doctors gave him five months at most to live. That was more than six years ago,” Trump said during his speech.
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Childhood ependymoma is a type of tumor that starts in the brain or spinal cord, impacting the central nervous system with all body functions such as breathing, heart rate, memory and learning, emotion and sense, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
About 200 to 250 children in the United States are diagnosed with ependymoma each year.
Over time, DJ Daniel’s cancer metastasized, relapsed and returned. He has undergone 13 brain surgeries, changing his personality each time, said Theodis Daniel.
“I have to [keep] learn[ing] his personality. So, what you see is what you get until we have another surgery,” he added.
DJ Daniel has been given honorary badges across the country, with 908 agencies recognizing him. He surpassed his original goal of 100 badges.
“Well, once I reach 1,000, I’m just going to keep on going until my gas tank runs out. That’s when God calls you home,” DJ Daniel said.
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Eric Woodhouse, a local radio host at WNBZ, first came across DJ Daniel’s story last August while working with a local New York police station near Saranac Lake, where the police chief swore him in.
“Devarjaye [DJ] is truly a remarkable young man who we all could learn a thing or two from. He’s looking at a less-than-ideal diagnosis in the face and not stopping,” Woodhouse told Fox News Digital.
Theodis Daniel said he taught his son that he was not put on Earth to be uncomfortable.
“When you go through things and you overcome them, it builds integrity and it builds character. You become a better version of yourself. So, for me, a very nice job last night, very, very proud and just ecstatic,” Theodis Daniel said of Trump honoring his son.
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“He’s taken his little dream and ran with it,” the proud dad added.
“DJ’s doctors believe his cancer likely came from a chemical he was exposed to when he was younger,” Trump said during the address.
Theodis said that he and his son have met a lot of other children battling cancer at the Texas Children’s Hospital.
Theodis Daniel said he is excited about the Make America Healthy Again movement.
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“It just breaks your heart to see [what] these kids go through. But, you know, this spirit of resilience and tenacity, it’s overwhelming,” he added.
“You got to stay supremely positive and stay prayed up and just do nice things for people and you’ll make it through, we promise you. Look at us,” Theodis Daniel said.
Cancer is the leading cause of death by disease after infancy among children in the U.S., according to NCI.
During his fight, DJ Daniel talks about his dream of becoming a police officer and was inspired by the kindness of officers who he has met over the years.
“They helped us. So I became one. And I want to help other people,” he said.
DJ Daniel also wants to help the homeless.
“You [can] take them, get them clean and get them back to where they can work,” he said.
