Meningitis Survivor Gets Special Gifts From Famous Oklahoma Athletes

By Dan Bewley, The News On 6

TULSA, OK -- Jeremiah Mitchell has hit another milestone on his road to recovery. The 6-year-old meningitis survivor from Talala recently returned from Cincinnati with great news from his doctors. 

And it's not the only positive news he got.

Gary Cook has been following Jeremiah's story from his home in Oklahoma City. Cook is friends with several Sooner greats like Steve Owens, Billy Sims and Jason White.

Cook's mission Saturday was to drop off autographed footballs, pictures and jerseys – three boxes worth of goodies. 

Cook wants the Mitchell family to know that some of Oklahoma's most famous athletes are thinking of Jeremiah.

"Steve Owens and Billy and Jason, they think about him every night," said Cook.

It didn't take much prompting to get Jeremiah to let loose that famous Sooner chant.

"Boomer Sooner," Jeremiah said.

Jeremiah's arms and legs were amputated in March after contracting bacterial meningitis. Seven children in all were infected after the outbreak in Oologah. Two children, Shuache Moua and Andrew Thomas, did not survive. 

Jeremiah just returned from the Shriners Hospital for Children in Cincinnati. His mother says his skin grafts are doing well and he should get a new bottom lip in about three months.

He's also waiting to go to the Shriners Hospital For Children-Houston to be fitted for prosthetics.

But it's clear his spirit is working 100 percent.

"When we travel for his checkups, people walk up to us and want to pray with us and want to talk to us. They just think he's really awesome," said Michaela Mitchell, Jeremiah's mother.

Cook has talked with the Mitchell family several times over the last few months, but this is his first chance to meet Jeremiah in person.

"He's just amazing, he's amazing," said Cook.

Really, that's all it takes, just a few minutes, to see that Jeremiah is like any other 6-year-old, he just doesn't have any arms or legs.

7/27/2010  Related Story: Organizers Halfway To Their Goal Of Building New Home For Talala Boy