Jernisha Smith, her nurse, seniors Makenzie Koch and Kaylee Harcrow and Mrs. Harris gather in Mrs. Gregory’s office anxiously waiting for the call that could change Smith’s life forever.
On Thurs. Sept. 22, Smith got a phone call from KISS FM’s Billy The Kid informing her she had received tickets and backstage passes to the Chris Brown concert.
“As a teacher and seeing her every class period and just the passion that she has for him it was just on a whim I just wanted to see if we could do something nice for her,” Mrs. Harris said.
Smith was involved in a devastating accident in 2009 that left her with extensive brain injuries. After hearing Smith’s story from seniors Makenzie Koch and Kaylee Harcrow, Billy The Kid did his best to get her tickets.
“Traumatic injuries all from just the decision to go to lunch and having that be the end result. I teared up, I was emotional, I was excited for her,” Mrs. Harris said.“You know everyday is a difficult day, so just to see her excited and if you met her she’s very laid back, very like it is nothing but you know it means a lot.”
When Koch learned Smith was getting not only the tickets, but also backstage passes she was ecstatic. When Smith heard Billy The Kid say she had won tickets to her favorite artist’s concert she said that they might need to call 911 because she was going to faint.
“Well, when we heard about it, it was just like a heart touching story, we were like the least we could do for her after all she has been through,” Koch said. “She is really positive and happy all the time in the class room so we got her tickets and we just thought it would be something nice for her.”