RIVERDALE, Ga. — A metro Atlanta high school football player had big hopes and dreams -- dreams that he was willing to sacrifice in order to protect the one he loves the most.
De'Lon Jackson has long dreamt of taking his football talents to the highest level.
"My main goal was to go to the NFL," Jackson said.
But his dreams changed forever when the 15-year-old offensive lineman was wrapping up football practice on June 29 at Charles Drew High School in Riverdale -- when he got a call from his mom.
"She told me she was coming and that she was about to turn into my school. I didn’t hear the accident, but I heard my mom saying, 'I can't breathe, I can’t move,'" Jackson said.
Jackson sprang into action to help his mom, Raven Simone, the one who sacrificed to raise him.
"I’m running…I see what happened. I see the truck that’s in the grass," Jackson said. "My first thought was getting my mom out of the car."
Just moments after getting his mom out of harm's way, Jackson paid another sacrifice.
“I was walking around the back, and you hear a car coming, and as they're coming, you can hear my car getting smacked," Simone said. "And I turn around and say, 'Where’s my son?' And I see him way up in the middle of the street, and his right leg is twisted.”
Thursday marks 10 days since a car hit Jackson and landed him at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta.
"My leg was very swollen," Jackson said. "Damaged tissue."
Jackson's right leg was amputated -- just shortly after his heroic attempt to save his mom succeeded after she was involved in a crash. His left leg was also injured in the incident.
There has been an online fundraiser set up to help pay for medical expenses that Jackson has to undergo while being treated for the injuries to his legs, plus the amputation. The fundraiser has raised $200 of its $100,000 goal. To donate, visit here.
"Just right now, taking care of him and my other two children," Simone said about what's most important to her right now. "He’s going to be here another week and a half, and when he leaves here, he’s going to have to go to CHOA for rehabilitation.”
While he may have different dreams now, Jackson still has his mom. His mom still has him. And sacrifice saved them both.
“I love her to death. I don’t know what I’d do without her. I don’t know what I’d do," Jackson said. "I’m glad she’s here. I’m glad I’m here.”
11Alive has reached out to law enforcement to obtain an incident report regarding the crash, but we have yet to hear back.