Bullies poked fun at 12-year-old battling terminal cancer at gas station — minutes later, they were apologizing to him

There is no boundary when it comes to dreaming and setting goals. With hard work and determination, one can even achieve these supposedly impossible milestones. There will always be people to criticize, mock and condemn one’s effort and hard work. Our call is to step up against such rash critics and spread kindness and love instead. 12-year-old Devarjaye (DJ) Daniel (@devarjaye), who is battling cancer, had to face such criticism too. The young man, who is an honorary police officer, was shamed for his courage and resilience but found an exceptional breakthrough, per Houston Chronicle. Teaching kids to stand up for themselves, Daniel has an unbeatable determination that had his bullies apologizing to him after they laughed at his bold uniform. 

In an interview with FOX26, the footage of the incident was revealed. Daniel was at a petrol pump when a few older teenagers mocked him relentlessly for his uniform and stature. The footage captures the group demeaning Daniel while making mocking expressions, laughing and making vile comments. They even sarcastically yelled, “Arrest us” in complete disrespect. Theodius, Daniel’s dad who was present at the time, realized that the group was being ruthless and stepped in to intervene. However, the father-son duo chose a more educational response than a violent one.

Theodius recalled choosing not to act impulsively. "We are used to all the frantic behavior, so it wasn’t anything we aren’t accustomed to. Every time they see him in his uniform, he gets a lot of laughs, some of them may ridicule him and make jokes about him. A lot of times he doesn’t want me to intervene; he'd rather just do it himself,” the dad noted. Daniel, too, chose a more mindful approach. “Really and truly, I'm like a 40-year-old and I don't have feelings like that," Daniel said, in another video. The footage too, captured the boy, though upset by the comments, making no impulsive moves and simply standing and listening. 

Instead, Daniel, as brave and mature as he is, responded by letting the teenagers learn his story. He became a cop to teach people to stand up for themselves and he did just that. He showed the group his story, how he had undergone several surgeries and treatment and still stands ambitious in being a cop. The teenagers were struck with shock after learning his story. Many even apologized and redirected their behavior towards the boy. They undoubtedly learned a lesson in kindness. 

The duo even recalled some of the teenage girls calling him “Officer DJ” respectfully after their thoughtful discussion and bidding him a warm goodbye before leaving the station. Any other frantic reaction would have only made things worse or had a negative impact. Daniel’s response moved the teenagers to understand and be more empathetic, leaving a positive outcome for both sides. The damage the boy encountered cannot be undone but Daniel believes in the fact that he is bigger than his bullies and his illness. The tiny but determined officer is defined by his kindness and mindfulness.