Houston Boy Battling Cancer Mocked at Gas Station, Community Rallies Against Bullying Incident

In what can only be described as a disheartening incident, 12-year-old Devarjaye "DJ" Daniel, a Houston boy who has been battling cancer and honored by over 800 law enforcement agencies, was subjected to mockery by a group of people at a local gas station. As reported by the Houston Chronicle, DJ's father, Theodis Daniel, initially missed the group surrounding his son while he was detailing DJ's accomplishments to others.

The upsetting scenario, which was captured in a video that later went viral, showed individuals at the gas station laughing and jeering at DJ's uniform, and even taking his flashlight. One can even see them dancing and shouting provocatively, "arrest us!" to DJ. Despite DJ's incredible challenges, including 13 brain surgeries, these individuals seemed to disregard the gravity of his condition. As DJ told the Houston Chronicle, the experience made him feel bullied, and it was a reminder of his daily fight.

Community activist Candice Matthews jumped in defense of DJ, as she was completely disgusted by the video, pointing out that it highlights the insidious nature of bullying. Matthews responded via social media to signal a collective intolerance of such behavior, expressing her dismay at the fact that those involved seemed oblivious to DJ's status as a cancer survivor, as per the Houston Chronicle.

However, the boy known for his resilience had a different take on the situation. Despite being treated inappropriately by the group, DJ looked to educate rather than react with animosity. "Really and truly, I'm like a 40-year-old and I don't really have feelings like that," DJ said in a statement to FOX 26 Houston. The father mentioned that an unknown individual from the group reached out to apologize after the backlash, which suggests that the message might be getting through.

Through it all, DJ's outlook remains positive, "You know, we can turn negative stuff into positive things. (And you hope to do that in this instance also?) Yes. Upgrade yourself. Be a better person than you were three minutes ago. I'm a better version of myself than I was before I walked in here, and I'm sure going to be a lot better by the time I walk out of here. (So you hope that's what we're all doing, is being a better version of ourselves with every breath we take?) Exactly," his father explains to FOX 26 Houston.