ROBERTA, Ga. — A Crawford County child's dreams came true on Saturday, and his community made it happen.
A snow day was Dakodah Searcy's wish, and the community made it come true. Even though the snow is cold, Dakodah's known to warm the hearts of many here.
Dakodah Searcy is a second grader at Crawford County Primary School undergoing an inoperable brain tumor. He started experiencing seizures last year, and during the summer they increased. In September, they discovered Dakodah had a very rare bithalamic brain tumor.
Nicole Hart-Boykins is Dakodah's grandmother and said throughout his tests and operations, she just wanted him to experience some normalcy.
"I got the phone call yesterday to say 'Hey, we got Dakodah what he wished for,'" Boykins said. "So many people kind of heard Dakodah's story and sought to do whatever they could to offer him a lot of joy and hope and encouragement and he's been so strong."
After achieving his dreams of throwing snowballs with his dad, Dakodah said he had fun.
"It made me feel great!" Dakodah said. "I like the snow and throw snowballs at my friends."
Deacon Clayton Jones dressed as Santa Claus at Pleasant Hill Church and came to grant Dakodah his wish to see and play in the snow. He built the snow machine himself and said making children like Dakodah smile, especially during a tough time, brings joy to his heart.
"Every kid deserves some joy in their life and he's going through a lot with his illness so just putting a little joy in his life is the thing we need to do," Jones said.
Dakodah's family says he still has a ways to go, but he's been strong throughout this process and said his story has already inspired others throughout the community.
"Just to be around him offers us a lot in return because he is infectious. His joy, his laughter, he loves to entertain us through dance and song and he's just a joy, period," Boykins said.
Dakodah has dreams of becoming an honorary firefighter and was officially sworn in by Chief Randall Pate.
He will be going in for more tests and operations within the next few months.