Jarrius Robertson, a true New Orleans hero
17th July 2017 · 0 Comments
By James Sebastien
Contributing Writer
Over 24 years ago, James “Jimmy V” Valvano graced the stage at the first-ever ESPY Awards, and gave every soul on this earth words to live by: “To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. And number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But, think about it. If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that’s a full day. That’s a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you’re going to have something special.”
There is perhaps no soul in New Orleans who has lived life by Jimmy V’s philosophy better than 15-year-old, Jarrius “Little JJ” Robertson.
Dubbed a superfan for his love of the New Orleans Saints, Little JJ has brought inspiration to the Crescent City with his courageous and joyful spirit. So, it came as no surprise to those who have come to admire Jarrius Robertson, when he was honored by the ESPYs with the Jimmy V Award (Jim Valvano Award for Perseverance).
“When I first heard the news, I thought I was dreaming!” Jarrius said in a statement. “The ESPYS? For real? The past two years have been a blessing in so many ways for me and my family. I have been able to do things I never thought I would be able to do. But to be included with Craig Sager, Stuart Scott, Leah and Devon Still, Eric LeGrand and the man himself, Jimmy V, is truly amazing, and I am really grateful and humbled.”
Little JJ’s road to the ESPYs was not as easy as most of the night’s attendees. He did not get there for throwing a touchdown pass or sinking a game winning shot. His path has been one that has embodied the meaning of perseverance in every sense of the word. Jarrius was born with a rare liver disease (biliary atresia), a disease that required him to undergo multiple surgeries, two of which were liver transplants (the first at the age of 1). The disease also stunted his growth as the 15-year-old stands at just under four feet. But, while it would be quite understandable to let these obstacles gloom one’s mood, that just isn’t Jarrius Robertson’s style.
The Saints first became aware of Little JJ back in the year of 2015 during a visit to Ochsner Hospital for Children. It wasn’t long after that day that young Jarrius would capture the attention of not only the city but the national media (Good Morning America) as well. Everyone who has seen Little JJ cheering on his Saints from the sidelines at home games has instantaneously become captivated by his energy. But, he’s more than the Saints hype-man; Jarrius is also an ambassador of sorts, as he helped New Orleans in hosting the 2017 NBA All-Star Weekend. He even scored a couple of points during the celebrity game.
For Jarrius, the recognition is a way to bring laughter and show his love, but It’s also an opportunity to spread awareness to the importance of organ donations.
The Robertson family is greatly appreciative of the liver that Little JJ received back on April 30 of this year, and they want to shine a light on the difficulties people have in finding donors. So, in following the footsteps of Jimmy V, with strength and unflinching belief, Jarrius spoke not just to an audience of athletes, but to the world when he stepped in front of the microphone with his parents (Jordy Robertson and Patricia Hoyal) at the ESPYs.
Jarrius began his speech of the night by quoting Jimmy V: “Don’t give up!” He continued, “The past few years have been a blessing for me and my family. I have been doing things that I have never thought I could do before, and earning the Jimmy V award tonight is amazing.”
Jarrius then thanked the Who Dat Nation, Tom Benson, Sean Payton and Thomas Morestead.
He ended his speech by stating, “Lastly, and not least, my family. I want to thank them for being by my side and making all the sacrifices to get me where I am now.”
The Jimmy V Award wasn’t the only good news the Robertson family received this month, prior to the ESPYs, Tom Benson announced he was committing $25,000 to aid with Little JJ’s medical expenses, an amount that was later matched by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. A GoFundMe page was also set up less than a year ago to assist in raising $250,000.
To contribute, visit www.gofund-me.com and search for “Help Jarrius Robertson.” To learn more, follow his Facebook page, Jarrius “Little JJ” Robertson, and visit his website, www.ItTakesLivesToSaveLives.com.
This article originally published in the July 17, 2017 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.
