Officials band together to give child unforgettable birthday

Local officials came together to give Jabril Carroll, a local boy battling a rare and aggressive brain tumor, an eighth birthday party with his own parade and his favorite superheroes last Saturday at the community outreach center in Bryan’s Road.

The June 8 event was brought together through the efforts of Del. Edith J. Patterson (D-Charles), Commissioner Thomasina “Sina” Coates (D), G.S. Proctor & Associates and Gloria Jolly of the Bryans Road Shopping Center Community Outreach Center.

Before the celebration began, Carroll was presented with various birthday cards, a recognition from Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md., 5th), a proclamation from the Charles County commissioners to help bring awareness to his ailment and more.

“This is Bryan’s Road love,” Commissioner President Reuben B. Collins II (D) told Carroll. “We want to express our absolute love for you.”

Patterson called Carroll a “very brave warrior” and said that when she found out about Carroll’s situation that it was “a natural inclination to reach out to community leaders for support.”

“We want to make sure we give him the best and bring the community and his family together,” Coates said.

Carroll is diagnosed with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, which has a low survival rate, according to the National Institutes of Health.

His mother, Michelle Bivens, has six children and he is the youngest. Only three of his siblings are still at home.

The party went off without a hitch, with Carroll’s friends coming to greet and wish him well, his family showering him with love and providing plenty of activities for him to enjoy.

Some of his favorite superheroes showed up in costume, fitted him with a Batman mask and expressed their love for him. Presents poured in and adults and children alike flocked to an ice cream truck, stocked with Spiderman popsicles.

Carroll looked on as a parade in his honor made its way through the parking lot, filled with fire trucks, various customized cars and police vehicles.

A GoFundMe made to support Carroll and his family in this trying time has been set up and says, “He loves to play with cars and trucks, dogs, and of course, video games. He is smart, fun, and energetic, but above all else, he is loving, caring and his spirits are high.”