'He's my hero': Bay Area high schooler experiencing homelessness overcomes adversity

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Most seniors consider going to a high school prom a big deal, but to Mahtayous Glover Jones it means even more.

"I tell him every day he's my hero," said Hollie Eddins, Jones' mom. "I don't know how many parents look up to their kids for strength, but he is my hero."

Eddins and her son faced challenges on the road to graduation.

Hollie Eddins snaps photos of her son as he attends the prom with his date. 

"He has a rare brain disorder, from epilepsy," said Eddins. "And they said he wouldn't make it to 13 and Mahtayous is standing here, at 18 years old, getting ready to walk the stage. So he's my hero."

That's not their only struggle.

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"It is the most amazing thing. I'll tell you this, he worked very hard to get here. We have been through so much this past year. We've been homeless. Been living in my truck all the way up to prom today, and he's still put on a smile every day," Eddins explained.

"It was hard to do that, but my mom always found a way for me to get there and get everything done," shared Jones.

Eddins says her and her son have been living in her truck.

Their budget is so tight that they weren't able to pay for Jones to go to his prom. Achieva Credit Union stepped in and paid for his prom ticket, and also brought him a suit.

"We gave it to a kid that really needed," said Tasha Cohen-Glenn, Achieva Credit Union. "And he's so grateful for it. He's so humble, and he didn't even ask for it."

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"He got up, and he went to school," said Eddins. "He was 15 credits behind at the beginning of this school year. He's made the honor roll. And my baby will be walking on May 16th at Tropicana Field from Lakewood High."

"I want to have a career and go to college, so anything that I have to do to get there I'll do," added Jones. "Even if it's hard just keep doing it I guess."

"You can do anything," said Eddins. "Anything, anything you can do. Anything. He is a walking testimony of that."

In the face of adversity, they found strength, and in the depths of despair, they found hope. Jones plans to go to college this fall and study animation.

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