HOUSTON – Devarjaye “DJ” Daniel, a brain cancer survivor from Houston, was honored during President Donald Trump’s joint address to Congress on Tuesday night.
For years, Daniel has wanted to be a police officer and has received several recognitions from local police departments.
On Tuesday night, the 13-year-old was sworn in by Secret Service Director Sean Curran as an honorary agent during the president’s speech.
DJ and his father Theodis joined FOX 26 to talk about the honor on Wednesday morning.
DJ Daniel, father on becoming an honorary Secret Service agent
What they’re saying:
DJ proudly showed off his newest honor on Wednesday morning.
“I got my badge right here,” Daniel said.
Theodis Daniel says the moment on Tuesday night was a surprise.
“It left us speechless. I can tell you we weren’t expecting that. We didn’t even know what was going on. Actually, they kept a secret from us,” he said.
Daniel was given five months to live when he received his brain cancer diagnosis in 2018. Since that time, he has gone through 13 brain surgeries.
His father says the journey has been tough, but they hope to inspire others.
“We just have to turn something that most of us see as bad and tragic into something positive,” Theodis said. “We’re supposed to be in the business of trying to inspire people to be a better version of themselves despite what you’re going through.”
The family hopes that Americans who saw DJ’s story learn a lesson in perseverance.
“He doesn’t give up, he doesn’t complain, he just gets out and does it with no excuses,” DJ’s father said. “Just stay positive, stay hopeful and stay prayed up.”
The Source: Information in this article comes from FOX 26’s interview with DJ and Theodis Daniel on March 5, 2025.
