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DeKalb boy overcomes amputations to march in high school band

Jahkee Johnson, a 15-year-old Cedargrove High student, manages to play in the marching band despite being a double amputee. (Credit: Channel 2 Action News)
Jahkee Johnson, a 15-year-old Cedargrove High student, manages to play in the marching band despite being a double amputee. (Credit: Channel 2 Action News)
By Joshua Sharpe
Nov 28, 2016

Despite major challenges, a DeKalb County high school student manages to play in the marching band.

According to a report on Channel 2 Action News, Jahkee Johnson was born with a rare disease and has lost his legs below the knee, but the 15-year-old boy is defying his disability and his classmates' notion of what he can do.

"We were practicing, and everyone was shocked, but they started to see and treated me like a normal person," Jahkee told the TV station.

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The boy attends Cedar Grove High in Ellenwood and was born with tibial hemimelia. His amputations took place when he was an infant.

He grew and even managed to play sports for years before arriving to Cedar Grove and falling in love with the tuba, Channel 2 said.

He wears padded shoes that help him march and sway with the other students.

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