Sheriff Grady Judd swears in boy with brain cancer as honorary Polk County deputy

Boy battling brain cancer becomes honorary deputy

Carla Bayron reports.

LAKELAND, Fla. - Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd held a swearing-in ceremony on Friday for a 13-year-old boy battling incurable brain cancer as the teen hopes to set a Guinness World Record.

The backstory:

Devarjaye "DJ" Daniel dream is to become a police officer, and he hopes to be sworn in at 1,000 law enforcement agencies across the country.

PCSO says he's already reached 914, including being sworn in by President Donald Trump as a Secret Service agent.

Full ceremony: Grady Judd swears in boy with cancer as honorary deputy

Devarjaye "DJ" Daniel, a teen battling incurable brain cancer, was sworn in as an honorary Polk County deputy at a ceremony hosted by Sheriff Grady Judd on Friday.

He defied the odds after doctors gave him five months at most to live when he received a brain cancer diagnosis in 2018. He's undergone more than a dozen brain surgeries and is part of a research study that has given his family hope.

"I do everything now to try and make the world a better place and just to use his story to help somebody out," said Theodis Daniel, DJ's dad. "I don't know how many people we've been able to touch with our story who may have given up. The fight is only harder if you believe that, so you always have to stay faithful and positive."

Sheriff Grady Judd swore in Devarjaye "DJ" Daniel as an honorary Polk County deputy on March 28, 2025.

Local perspective:

The sheriff's office media room was packed on Friday morning with people who gave a standing ovation for DJ as he walked into the room with the signature green deputy uniform. The teen, who is from Texas, can now add Polk County Deputy Sheriff to his growing list of honorary titles.

Sheriff Grady Judd swore in Devarjaye "DJ" Daniel as an honorary Polk County deputy on March 28, 2025.

What they're saying:

Judd and DJ shared some lighthearted banter during the ceremony.

"At 18, you come back, you move to Florida. you come to work for me," Judd said. "Register to vote because you know I'm going to need some votes by that time."

"Trust me, if you want to say something, all you have to do is tell me to say it," DJ replied.

Sheriff Grady Judd swore in Devarjaye "DJ" Daniel as an honorary Polk County deputy on March 28, 2025.

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What's next:

DJ and his family will be booked through the next few months, traveling to more agencies in other states.

"I'll keep going until my gas tank runs out and that's when God calls you home," said DJ. "The craziest thing is on my 11th brain surgery God told me I was one of his angels and I'm doing God's work. On my twelfth brain surgery, he gave me my wings, but he told me I'm going to take these back until you graduate the school called life."

DJ's Dad says his son has set a lot of records already including having the most 'Keys to the City' and the most 'Proclamation Days.'

The Source: This story was written with information from the Polk County Sheriff's Office and a swearing-in ceremony hosted by Sheriff Grady Judd on March 28, 2025.

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