By Justin Jarrett
LowcoSports.com
Adjusting to the “new normal” hasn’t been easy for the Jones family since 17-year-old Anderson suffered a traumatic fall last summer that left all of the Lowcountry holding its collective breath and hoping for a miracle.
A few days in the California sun and the VIP treatment at the College Football National Championship game provided a nice respite.
Thanks to the Charlotte-based non-profit organization Dream On 3, the Jones family spent four days in Los Angeles, where they rolled in style, touring SoFi Stadium, sitting front row at the official media day press conference, and meeting coaches and players from TCU and Georgia, including Bulldogs quarterback Stetson Bennett IV.
The family also had VIP tickets to the AT&T Playlist Live concert featuring Pitbull and the Jonas Brothers, and of course, stellar tickets to watch the Bulldogs pulverize the Horned Frogs for their second straight national title.
That mission was accomplished. Anderson’s dad, Jeremy, said the experience was unreal, and video shared by Dream On 3 showed a joyous Anderson fully absorbed in the concert.
It was a moving scene considering how far Anderson has come since his life-threatening injuries, working hard during his rehabilitation at Shepherd Center in Atlanta to regain brain function and mobility, which he got to show off with his dance moves this weekend.
“This experience is about giving Anderson a break from the last six months so he can simply enjoy being a teenager again,” Dream On 3 co-founder Brandon Lindsey said in a release. Dream On 3’s mission is “to create experiences of joy, hope, and encouragement for children and young adults with life-altering conditions through the world of sports.”
Justin Jarrett is the sports editor of The Island News and the founder of LowcoSports.com. He was the sports editor of the Island Packet and the Beaufort Gazette for 6½ years. He has a passion for sports and community journalism and a questionable sense of humor.
