New Orleans Saints & Ochsner Hospital for Children(NEW YORK) — Jarrius Robertson isn’t your average New Orleans Saints fan.
The 14-year-old is the ultimate Saints super fan, attending the team’s practices and games on a regular basis, even showing the players a little tough love when needed.
The quality time with his favorite team keeps Jarrius’ spirits up as he faces a serious illness. He’s battled a chronic liver disease called biliary atresia his entire life. The illness has affected his physical growth, and he’s currently on the waiting list for a liver transplant.
“Being in the hospital for seven to 14 days is kind of rough for a kid,” Jarrius’ father, Jordy Robertson, told ABC News.
Jarrius is no stranger to hospitals, however. He had a liver transplant when he was 1 year old that left him in a coma for an entire year. From that point forward, he has been in and out of the hospital and has had 13 surgeries in his short lifetime.
Despite all the difficulties he’s endured physically, young Jarrius has a remarkably positive attitude. And the one thing particular that keeps him positive is his beloved Saints.
Jarrius first met the Saints one year ago during one of his extended hospital stays at Ochsner Children’s Hospital in New Orleans, where he’s known as “the mayor” for his lively personality.
Needless to say, he made a lasting impression on the players. Jarrius immediately gave them a lot of constructive criticism to “help make them better.”
The players were so taken by his honesty and his jovial personality they invited him to their practice so he could meet the other players. This was a dream come true for Jarrius, who now attends the Saints practices once or twice a week and is known as the team’s “hype man.”
Jarrius joined Good Morning America Tuesday to explain just how much his experience with the Saints is helping him get through his tough medical journey.
What he didn’t know, however, is that the Saints had a very special surprise in store for their fun-loving “hype man.”
Saints coach Sean Payton, quarterback Drew Brees and defensive end Cam Jordan announced they were making Jarrius an “honorary member” of the team. They also invited Jarrius and his dad to fly on their team plane to attend their game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, where he’ll be their social media reporter for the big game.
To learn more about how to become an organ donor, visit Donate Life America’s website.
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