Editor鈥檚 note: This is the first in our series about young 蜜柚直播ans who make us optimistic about the future.
To increase epilepsy awareness among his football teammates, fourth-grader Marcus Devoy strung football-shaped beads on the purple-and-white bracelets his family makes.
The family has been beading and handing out these bracelets in honor of Marcus鈥 sister Jade Devoy for a few years now. Jade, 13, is at the cognitive level of a 7- or 8-year-old, Marcus鈥 mom Jessica Devoy said.
Jade鈥檚 diagnosis includes epilepsy and intellectual disability, but her epilepsy is hard to control, Jessica said.
She added that Marcus, the youngest of three, often acts like the older brother to his sister.
He helps her with homework and making her lunch. When she has seizures, he doesn鈥檛 panic. And his teachers see the result of that.
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鈥淗e鈥檚 very kind in the sense that if he knows the answer, he鈥檒l say 鈥楲et鈥檚 figure it out together,鈥欌 his fourth-grade teacher Lucy Popson said. 鈥淗e might be tapping his leg because he knows, but he doesn鈥檛 rush his buddy. He has that patience. And he鈥檚 a good teacher, too.鈥
What he does:
At J. Robert Hendricks Elementary School, Marcus, 9, rakes in the awards 鈥 Student of the Month, Peer Appreciation, Gold Honor Roll.
Popson said he is the only student in her class who participates in the gifted education program, Center for Academically Talented Students (C.A.T.S.). That class meets about once a week, often doing creative projects and fun field trips. But Marcus never brags to his classmates, Popson said.
He has also done presentations on epilepsy for his third and fourth grade classes, plus his C.A.T.S. class.
He wants to spread awareness about the neurological disorder so people know 鈥渋t鈥檚 OK to be different,鈥 he said.
For several years before Jade left Hendricks for middle school, Marcus and his family encouraged the whole school to wear purple 鈥 the color affiliated with epilepsy awareness 鈥 on a designated day. Many participated.
When Marcus decided to make bracelets for his football team, he knew he needed to make the purple-and-white bracelets more appealing for his teammates. That鈥檚 why he incorporated beads shaped like footballs and in their team colors.
He has been playing football for about four years with the Marana Broncos through the 蜜柚直播 Youth Football and Spirit Federation and has won Scholastic Awards two years in a row.
Why it matters:
Popson said she pairs stronger students like Marcus with kids who might need a bit more help.
At home, Marcus has learned to be patient with kids who may have special needs or different learning styles.
鈥淚鈥檓 patient with (Jade) because I know it鈥檚 hard for her to understand sometimes,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 understand other kids because I鈥檓 so used to being around Jade.鈥
He gets that misunderstanding isn鈥檛 on purpose. Sometimes it can鈥檛 be helped.
That鈥檚 why he and his family are making bracelets and encouraging people to donate to or learn more through the Epilepsy Foundation of 蜜柚直播. Marcus wants other kids to understand what he has learned.
How he would encourage his peers:
鈥淥ther kids should be kind because when you say something mean to a person, it gets them down,鈥 he said. 鈥溾業 don鈥檛 want to hang out with you or play with you or you can鈥檛 join us,鈥 鈥 it gets a person down. And it鈥檚 just sad to see that, or it鈥檚 sad to be that person. So you should always to say nice things to people or be nice to people because then they feel better inside.鈥
Contact reporter Johanna Willett at jwillett@tucson.com or 573-4357. On Twitter: @JohannaWillett
Johanna Willett | This Is 蜜柚直播
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