Challenges Can’t Keep Jolly Down

Jolly Green knelt on the sidelines under the hot Arkansas sun. He knew he couldn’t keep going. 

The teen was at football camp, the summer before he began 10th grade. Green, whose formal name is Jaquize, felt drained. 

“Tackling was getting harder and harder,” he said. “After I hit somebody, I got up really slow. I knew something was wrong.” 

The cause of his problems was a disease called severe aplastic anemia. In severe aplastic anemia, the body does not make enough new blood cells. That is because the bone marrow does not work the way it should. Bone marrow is the soft, spongy tissue in the center of many bones. It makes blood stem cells, and they produce new blood cells. The lack of blood cells explained why Green was so tired and weak.

Green had a stem cell (bone marrow) transplant at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in 2022. A transplant puts new stem cells from a donor into the body so they can make healthy blood cells. The transplant successfully treated his disease. 

But the athlete said he had to stop playing football and competing on his school’s track team. 

“Everything kind of got taken away from me,” Green said. “I was mad.”

But life went on. He graduated from high school. In fact, he was one of the first graduates of a new program at his school where students earned their commercial driver’s license while in high school. This accomplishment opens the doors to careers such as truck driving. 

Green said putting God first is the most important thing he has done to deal with the changes in his life. 

And he goes fishing. Whether it is at a nearby pond, river, or lake, he is outdoors hoping to catch a buffalo fish or some catfish, bream, or crappie.

“I find peace of mind being next to nature,” Green says. “It’s cool to fish by yourself or with other people.”

Staying active is important. Find something you love to do and keep at it, Green says. 

“Wake up every day, and don’t let anything stop you,” he says. “Play music if you like music. Try to stay positive – no negativity. I take each day slow. I keep my head up and look forward.”