Preston and Parker Jackson, two brothers who were diagnosed with the same type of cancer just six weeks apart, have each other to lean on. But now, they also have Tim Tebow.
Preston, 22, and Parker, 19, have pancreatic neuroendocrine cancer, like their father, in addition to brain tumors which will have to be surgically removed. Yet, they had reason to smile in November after spending a full weekend with Tebow as part of the Tim Tebow Foundation’s W15H Program, which provides youth with epic experiences and opportunities to spend one-on-one time with the former Heisman winner.
The brothers have always been big fans of Tebow, so when the Tim Tebow Foundation learned about their wish to meet him, they arranged a jam-packed weekend full of college football and time with their idol.
Photo: Tim Tebow Foundation
Preston and Parker were flown from their home in North Carolina to Opelika, Alabama by private plane. The next day, Tebow surprised them at lunch, where he got to know the brothers.
“One of the really cool things that I heard about your story, is after your brother got sick, that you started praying that you would get sick, too,” Tebow said to Preston over lunch.
To which, Preston replied, “It felt like it wasn’t fair for him to have to go through something like this alone.”
Following lunch, they got a behind-the-scenes tour of Auburn’s football stadium, where Tebow met up with them again to throw the ball around.
That Saturday, Preston and Parker were VIP guests and right next to the cameras of ESPN’s SEC Nation as Tebow gave his analysis of the Auburn v. Georgia matchup. They also had sideline credentials, so they could be close to the action during the game.
“Preston and Parker are two amazing brothers who are fighting a rare form of cancer,” Tebow said, “but are doing it with so much courage and passion!”
Here’s a video recap of their weekend:
