‘There are no words for the community support’- Coach Justin Price

TOP PHOTO:  Baby Jack Price is home and doing well as the one-year anniversary of his Leukemia diagnosis is Saturday.

JACKSBORO, TN (WLAF) – A year ago tomorrow is when the Campbell County Football family and community were surprised and saddened at the news of Baby Jack Price.  At a routine check-up, he was diagnosed with Leukemia.

Jack, born about six-months before his diagnosis, is the son of Justin and Traci Price.  Justin is the head football coach for Campbell County High School.

The news came out of a regular check up for the now 18- month old future Cougar.  Jack’s dad’s football team was getting ready to play its jamboree game on that Friday night and did so without Justin at the helm.

“When you think back on what the last year’s done for me personally and our family, it’s overwhelming.  We’ve seen God move in ways we just never thought we could imagine.  Our families have drawn closer,” said Price.

Once the news of Baby Jack’s situation broke, the community immediately began responding with various ways of support from T-shirt sales to a Baby Jack logo, stickers and banners and so much more.  “Then the way our community has supported us, there’s no words for it.  We’ll be forever grateful for it,” said the 10th year head coach.

Price managed a balancing act of family and football in a most admirable way.  Though he’s quick to note that it was the support of the entire community that kept his family and the 2019 football season going.  “You know.  The first experience I had with seeing all of it (support) was the Cocke County game, last year’s season opener.  Those are images in  my mind that won’t go away,” said Justin.

The head coach has several pictures from the 2019 home game with Cocke County.  He figures he and his family will reminisce a lot this weekend about those photos and all those things that were happening this time last August.

“Jack’s been home for several weeks now (after the better part of a year in the hospital), and we’re back to normal as a family.  It’s good to see him crawling around the house,” said Price.

On the eve of this one-year anniversary, there is good reason for celebration, because Jack’s check-up visits are getting farther and farther apart.  (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 08/14/2020-6AM)