RIVERDALE, Ga. — A high school football player from metro Atlanta had big dreams of playing in the NFL, but he was willing to give it all up to save the person he loves most—his mom.
De’Lon Jackson, a 15-year-old offensive lineman at Charles Drew High School in Riverdale, had always dreamed of making it to the NFL.
“My main goal was to go to the NFL,” Jackson said.
But everything changed on June 29 after football practice when he got a call from his mom, Raven Simone.
“She told me she was almost at my school, but then I heard her say, ‘I can’t breathe, I can’t move,'” Jackson recalled.
Without hesitation, Jackson rushed to help his mom, who had been in a car accident nearby.
“I ran and saw the truck in the grass,” Jackson said. “My first thought was to get my mom out of the car.”
After getting his mom to safety, tragedy struck again.
“I heard a car coming and then a loud crash,” Simone said. “I turned around and saw my son in the middle of the street with his right leg twisted.”
Jackson was hit by a car and was rushed to Grady Memorial Hospital. His right leg was so badly injured that it had to be amputated. His left leg was also hurt.
An online fundraiser has been set up to help cover Jackson’s medical expenses, including treatment for his injuries and the amputation. So far, it has raised $200 of its $100,000 goal.
“Right now, I’m focused on taking care of him and my other two children,” Simone said. “He’ll be in the hospital for another week and a half, and then he’ll go to CHOA for rehabilitation.”
Even though Jackson’s dreams have changed, he still has his mom, and she still has him. Their love and sacrifice saved them both.
“I love her to death. I don’t know what I’d do without her,” Jackson said. “I’m glad she’s here, and I’m glad I’m here.”
11Alive has reached out to law enforcement for an incident report on the crash but hasn’t heard back yet.