34-year-old awaiting kidney transplant named honorary deputy

As we come back in the newsroom, the time right now is 1:14 on this Monday afternoon. We're going to take you to Jackson County now, where a man is about to see his wish becoming a deputy come true. Our Eli Jordan joins us now live with all the details on this one. I understand it's supposed to happen at 1:30, so you're kind of previewing it for us. What's about to happen, Eli? Hey, Tyler. Yeah, we hope to bring it to you live, but here in just a little bit, maybe about 15 minutes, Nick Smith here in Jackson County, 34 years old. He's going to be an honorary deputy, deputized, and he's going to go check out some of the deputy car vehicles and just check out the whole department and have a good old time with Sheriff McCook and all that. But right now, I am with the PIO of Jackson County Sheriff's Department, Devin Skelton. Devin, thank you very much. So we've got an exciting little bit coming up here. And tell me, what are you guys going to be doing? Yes, we do. So Nick Smith has had a relationship with the sheriff's office for a long time. We've had a relationship with him through the Special Olympics. And so we just wanted to do something special for him and make him an honorary deputy sheriff. And also, too, I mean, he's in need of a kidney, and we're getting mentions that his mom might have an announcement for us. And so getting excited about that. So why is it important for the sheriff's office to reach out and, you know, recognize the people out there that, you know, special needs and things like that? Well, we have a mission statement here at the Jackson County Sheriff's Office. it's that we provide exceptional customer service through problem solving so people can live safe productive quality lives because we believe you matter it's important for us to reach out to people throughout the community and make sure that they know that they matter awesome well nick smith he's gonna know he matters when he gets deputized by uh the sheriff kevin mccook out here and it's gonna be happening very very shortly tyler so uh hopefully uh we can time it out maybe even bring it to you live but we'll have more for you as the day progresses and uh check out Nick Smith getting deputized here in Jackson County. Back to you. Yeah, this is so great. Hopefully we can take it live during this show so we can show everyone what exactly is happening. Eli Jordan with the preview down in Jackson County. Really appreciate it. We want to take you live back to Jackson County where an event is getting underway right now. Our Eli Jordan kind of previewed it a few minutes ago at the top of the hour. There's going to be a special moment for a person who has wished to become a deputy, and it's coming true. Let's listen in. I'm a temporary deputy, and we wanted to make a special presentation. And then when we get done with that, his mom and I will share just a little bit about what's going on with Nick. And as soon as that's done, we're all going to step outside because we've got a special little surprise outside for you. And then after that, we'll come back in here just to kind of relax and stuff like that, okay? So, Nick, Mom, Ms. Debbie, you want to come up here? help us out okay what we have we have we're gonna make Nick an honorary deputy sheriff here at Jackson County Sheriff's Office which is pretty cool huh so we have a certificate here it says identifies you Nick Smith as an honorary deputy and we got a cool sheriff's badge for you and I'm gonna Let mom pin it on for you if you'll put it right here. Yep. Yep, yep. They can't, they don't know me. Okay. Okay. I'm gonna pin the badge on you, okay? I'm gonna unzip you so I don't end up poking you. Nice. Hey. You coming in? There you go. There you go. There you go. You are a good baby. Now let me do that for us. Look at there, look right here. Look at the camera and see this badge. Excellent. Yep. Good deal. All right. All right, Deputy Nick. Look nice. You good? I like that. Let everybody out here and see what you got. All right, hey, let's get a picture all of us together right here. I'll get a picture. Back up here. Okay, we'll come up here. There you go. All right. All right, ready? One, two, three, two. Good job. Excellent. Hey, I just wanna share a little bit. Nick is going through some kidney issues that we gotta get figured out. Mm-hmm. Yep, yep. Yep. the issues they've got to get figured out and there's a special yeah right in here they got some challenges to get that solved and so i just challenge you um as a community and as a county to rally around and help this family as they navigate that certainly with your prayers and any kind of support that you want to help them with because it's tricky and they're trying to get it sorted out you know you want to share anything further yeah so next health care we do have doctors will follow them and help do the blood work and and keep us updated where his health level is at we do see some specialists um for instance nick had cataract um we actually had to go to florida this year to actually get the cataract removed because it required required anesthesia we've yet been able to find and found a doctor that would put nick under true anesthesia in georgia so unfortunately our health care follows us to florida or other places so this kidney situation has come up rather challenging we're trying to find anyone that could possibly work out dialysis for him but the real goal would be to miss dialysis and go straight to a kidney transplant so we're just praying that we can find the right place the right doctors that are able and willing to do it and the kidney that would come with it it's not a given that nick's going going to be on the transplant um you know we have to go through some testing to make sure that we can get to that point but to have a doctor in the facility in hospitals that will even be willing to look at our case is that's our main goal and we're praying for that every day so we will be able to support you in that would it be okay if i pray for nick and your family yes you join me in prayer do it thank you that you love us and that you care for us right now we lift up nick and his mom, and his whole family, and that we just put them into your care. I know there's some challenges here with the kidneys and the insurance and the doctors and all the different dynamics that are at play here, but we give it to you and we trust you. We ask that you bless in this situation. In Jesus' name, amen. Hey, Nick, you want to go outside and check out some stuff? Yeah. All right, hey, will you guys go out ahead of Nick and Bradley Graham, we're going to have a little surprise out there in the parking lot for you. Okay? Hey, Nick, can I ask you a quick question? How does it feel to get that deputy. Good. Yeah, me, me, me. You're going to take her to jail? Yeah. I sent my girlfriend into jail. Tell them, tell them. So I'll tell you what, I'm going to let you go, you can check out the other surprises you got going on that Sheriff McCook has for you. Yeah, me, yeah, my girlfriend do that too. My girlfriend do that too. Cool. That was good. I sent my girlfriend too. There you go. Congratulations, Nick. Nick. We'll let you go do your thing. go hang out with the sheriff yeah yeah i love this so much uh thanks for Eli Jordan who is there in Jackson County right now this just makes my heart so happy he's going to go out talk with the sheriff some more and so i just want to reiterate you've just been watching uh his name is Nick he's 34 years old he lives in Nicholson and is currently waiting to be placed on a list for a kidney transplant which he desperately needs and today the sheriff made him an honorary deputy at the Jackson County Sheriff's Office. You just watched that play out live during our one o'clock show. Our Eli Jordan will join us a little bit later on during the two and three o'clock to have a full wrap up of the day's events. But I'm so glad that we were able to share this with you during our one o'clock show. So we're going to monitor the speed, but so glad the sheriff's doing this for Nick and congratulations. It was always his dream to become a deputy and he's just became an honorary deputy of the Jackson County Sheriff's Office.