Devarjaye “DJ”Daniel’s Story and Journey

Devarjaye “DJ” Daniel is a remarkable 13-year-old boy from Houston, Texas, whose life has become a powerful symbol of resilience, humor, and faith in the face of overwhelming odds. Born in San Antonio and raised in Houston, DJ was only six when he was diagnosed with anaplastic ependymoma, a rare and aggressive brain and spinal cancer. Doctors gave him five months to live in 2018. More than six years later, DJ continues to defy those odds with energy, courage, and a contagious zest for life.

Despite relentless treatments and physical pain, DJ radiates optimism. He’s known for his corny dad jokes, his habit of rubbing bald heads for “good luck,” and his signature line:

“I’m not going to stop living; I still got work to do.”

When DJ speaks, he doesn’t focus on his illness—he asks people to “pray for kids that have brain cancer,” reminding everyone that he’ll keep going “until my gas tank runs out,” his heartfelt metaphor for when “God calls me home.”

From Hurricane Harvey to Heroism

DJ’s dream of becoming a police officer began during Hurricane Harvey in 2017. His family—his single father, Theodis Daniel, and his two younger brothers—were displaced and found refuge in a Houston shelter. Three police officers came to help them, leaving an indelible mark on young DJ. He decided right then: he wanted to be one of them.

That spark became a mission. Theodis began arranging honorary police swearing-ins for DJ, both to fulfill his son’s dream and to raise awareness about childhood cancer. What began locally soon turned into a national—and later international—journey.

DJ was first sworn in by the Brookshire Police Department in 2019. When classmates mocked him for wearing his police uniform, the bullying instead drew national attention—and thousands of officers nationwide rallied to DJ’s side.

By late 2022, at just 11, DJ had already been honored by 53 law-enforcement agencies in a single ceremony at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia. He met FBI Director Christopher Wray, became an honorary FBI Special Agent, and was even made an honorary officer by London’s Metropolitan Police—his first international badge.

His father described him that day as “a riot who motivates everyone around him, full of spirit despite the cancer ravaging his body.”

A National Mission of Honor

By October 2024, DJ’s badge count had reached 871 agencies, capped by a massive swearing-in at the Birmingham Police Department in Alabama, where he was made an honorary deputy chief. Officials from 33 law-enforcement groups—including the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and the FBI—came to present badges and commendations.

That same week, DJ learned devastating news: three new brain tumors. His response, according to his father:

“Oh well, what can we do about it? I’m not going to stop living.”

By early 2025, DJ had surpassed 900 agencies, from Fairbanks, Alaska, to Miami Beach, Florida, making him one of the most-honored children in U.S. law-enforcement history. His story continues to spotlight the need for pediatric-cancer research and serves as living proof of hope in the darkest times.

The Moment That Stunned the Nation

On March 4, 2025, DJ’s story reached the national stage during President Donald Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress. Seated with his father in the House gallery, DJ was honored for his perseverance, courage, and love of law enforcement.

Trump introduced him as

“a young man who truly loves our police,”
and surprised him by inviting U.S. Secret Service Director Sean Curran to the floor to swear him in as the youngest-ever honorary Secret Service agent.

As DJ held up his badge, the chamber erupted in chants of “DJ! DJ!”—mostly from the Republican side. Theodis lifted his son high in triumph.

But what should have been a unifying moment soon turned political. Footage widely circulated online appeared to show most Democratic lawmakers remaining seated and silent during DJ’s honor. While some Democrats had clapped earlier in Trump’s speech, the majority stayed stone-faced during DJ’s segment—a reaction many viewers saw as cold and partisan.

Commentators like Donald Trump Jr., Clay Travis, and Meghan McCain criticized the Democratic side for “partisan heartlessness.” Others defended them, saying their silence reflected opposition to Trump’s theatrics, not to DJ himself.

Nevertheless, the optics were powerful—and painful for DJ and his father.

Days later, DJ appeared on Steve Bannon’s War Room podcast, where he spoke from the heart:

“Stop being mean to Trump. He’s a good guy. This wasn’t about politics—it was about me fighting cancer and loving our police.”

The Jasmine Crockett Controversy

In May 2025, during another honorary swearing-in ceremony with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Border Patrol, DJ addressed a new controversy involving Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX).

According to DJ and his father, Crockett had mocked his appearance—specifically his head, which bears visible scars from over a dozen brain surgeries. In response, DJ delivered a fiery, unscripted comeback that went viral:

“This one congresswoman was talking about my head, but I said she can’t be talking because she looks like a burnt marshmallow.”

The crowd roared. For DJ, it wasn’t cruelty—it was standing up for himself.

His father later recounted on Timcast IRL that he gave Crockett “nine opportunities to apologize,” but she refused. The Daniels family viewed her remarks as deeply hurtful—not just to DJ, but to every child fighting cancer who bears similar scars.

Online, the moment exploded. Supporters saw DJ’s clapback as an example of courage and self-respect; critics argued that the situation revealed the toxic climate of political hostility that had engulfed even a child’s story of hope.

Beyond Politics: A Father and Son’s Purpose

Through all the noise, Theodis Daniel has tried to steer attention back to what truly matters: his son’s fight for life, his advocacy for other children with cancer, and his belief that the world is still full of good people.

He often says the honorary ceremonies have “been saving DJ’s life for the last five years,” giving him motivation to keep pushing forward. DJ’s faith, humor, and connection with law enforcement have turned him into a living bridge between communities that often don’t see eye to eye.

As Theodis puts it:

“People see politics. I see a little boy who refuses to quit.”

Legacy in Progress

As of late 2025, DJ Daniel continues traveling to new departments, meeting officers, and collecting badges. Each ceremony is both a celebration and a reminder of why his journey matters—not for fame, not for politics, but for the message it sends: that courage, kindness, and laughter can triumph even in the shadow of death.

DJ’s story, though touched by controversy, remains at its heart the story of a boy who loves his heroes, a father who never gives up, and a nation reminded—if only for a moment—of what really counts.