OKEECHOBEE — Five years after the Lake Okeechobee News reported on a young boy battling through multiple surgeries and hospitalizations, Connor Jackson, who is now 13, is doing well.

Connor was brought to the attention of the community when the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office made him sheriff for a day, and the Okeechobee County Fire Rescue brought a fire truck to his house when he was too weak to go visit the fire station.

When Connor was 5, he was diagnosed with Chiari malformation, a condition in which brain tissue extends into your spinal canal. It occurs when part of your skull is abnormally small or misshapen, pressing on your brain and forcing it downward. His malformation was severe, and he had to have decompression surgery. During the same hospital stay, they discovered he had hydrocephalus, and required a shunt. Connor has had so many surgeries now that he and his mom have lost count, but by age 8, he had been through more than 20 surgeries on his brain and head.

Recently, a food truck, BoxerBros, was given a $20 bill in payment for a meal. On the bill were the words, “You’ve got this, Connnor.” The owners of the truck, Octavio Montiel  posted a photo of the $20 bill on their Facebook page, and several people identified the Connor in question as young Connor Jackson. The couple framed the bill and gifted it back to Connor, who wrote, “You’ll never know how much this means to me. It may seem small but I’m so grateful we have people like you in this town, people who bring this community together and inspire others. I love the design so much and I cannot wait to have a very special spot on my wall for this frame.”

Montiel said, “Well, thanks to Facebook we found Connor Jackson you guys are awesome. Connor has an inspiring story. Someone paid with this bill at our food truck, and I noticed the message written on it and not only did it help Connor at some point in his journey but it gave me a boost in confidence in a moment that I needed it. To anyone struggling… ‘you’ve got this’.”

When asked why he gave the framed money to Connor, Montiel said, “John 15:12 says, ‘My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.’”

Connor’s mom, Wendy Pippin said her son is doing well and is over 6 feet tall now. Because he had to be careful what activities he pursued when he was younger, Connor took up boxing using a VR headset to control the weight gain caused by medications and lack of activity. Not only did he lose weight, but he has grown into a tall, strong young man. He and his siblings enjoy kayaking and because he is homeschooled, are able to take the kayaks out most mornings before starting school. After years of not being able to play sports with other children, Connor is finally able to realize his dream and become part of a team playing baseball. “The risk for me is about the same as for any other kid,” Connor explained. “If you get hit in the head with a baseball, you’re in trouble.”

Both Connor and his mom expressed their great love for the Okeechobee community.  “The community came together and showed us we were loved,” said Pippin. “I wouldn’t live anywhere else.”

Connor will need more surgeries over the years as his shunt fails to do its job, but for right now, he is stable and having fun like any other teen.

Pippin shared the wise words of her father for anyone struggling. “As I contemplate tomorrow, I am reminded of something my dad has always told me, ‘I don’t know what tomorrow holds, but I know who holds tomorrow!’”

She said things have been hard for her family, really hard. “That’s why when the owner of the food truck posted what he did, it gave me such strength, it was like God himself was reminding me that he will never leave us no matter how tough and difficult it is.”