CLARKSBURG, W.Va. — On Friday, Harrison County will be celebrating the birthday of a young boy many consider to be their superhero.
To make it official, commissioners and other county officials donned the costumes of some of his favorite heroes to proclaim February 5 as Superhero Jack Rollins Day.
“[He] always has a smile on his face and is never discouraged or any of that,” Commission President Ron Watson said. “When that was brought to our attention, it was really an inspiration and an example of how adults should be.”
Jack will be a five-year-old Friday and has been battling Stage 4, High Risk, Neuroblastoma Cancer since he was two, with what friends of the family are describing as superhuman resolve.
“He honestly believes in his heart that he is Batman,” Alissa Robinson said. “So him giving the other kids the thumbs up and the ‘You’ve got to be strong,’ he thinks that’s his duty. He keeps smiling through it and doesn’t realize what a normal, out-of the-hospital life is like. He is our superhero.”
Robinson works with Jack’s mother at a medical facility in Morgantown and has known him since he was a baby.
An idea came about to celebrate Jack’s birthday on a grand scale after the family said they would be traveling to Michigan for him to receive treatment.
The response from the community, the county, the state and beyond has meant much to the family.
“I’ve had so many phone calls from people that tell me ‘We love this little boy and we haven’t even met him,'” Robinson said. “I would say they’re extremely overwhelmed but so appreciative of every little thing, whether it be a card, or a Facebook post, or a little gift or stickers.”
With so many people sending so many well wishes to his P.O. Box or to the hospital [addresses for those locations can be found at the Jack Rollins Journey Facebook page], she anticipates it will take weeks for Jack to go through everything.
The community is celebrating in other ways Friday as well, a few of which include area schools collecting money for Jack’s family and Bridgeport and East Fairmont High Schools incorporating a superhero theme for their boys basketball game that night in his honor.
While the festivities commence in Harrison County, Jack will remain in Michigan to continue treatment at the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, which is going well as of late.
“He did receive chemo treatment and he is currently receiving chemo pills,” she said. “I guess, as I know, everybody else will know too because they do update the page regularly on Facebook.”