No, Friday afternoon was all about Quai Jefferson and his wheelchair-ridden mom Vaida, whom he takes care of. Quai was honored by the Yankees to close out HOPE Week with a barbecue at the St. Joseph’s Regional High School courtyard in Montvale, NJ.
Quai was the star, greeted by the professional athletes and swarmed by teachers, school officials and students, all wanting to know about his new life at the University of Delaware, where the talented wide receiver has a full football scholarship and was off taking summer classes.
“It’s awesome — they’re the Yankees,” said Quai, a Yankees fan who threw out the first pitch of Friday night’s game against the Orioles at the Stadium. “It’s a very special day. It’s very heartwarming.
“It’s an honor that they actually care enough and [are] considerate to come out and spend some time with me.”
Quai’s story drew a handful of the biggest Yankees stars, including Mark Teixeira, CC Sabathia, Dellin Betances, Masahiro Tanaka, and St. Joseph alumnus and YES announcer John Flaherty.
A two-sport star who also plays basketball, Quai was caught off guard when the Yankees made their way to the St. Joseph’s courtyard. He was told he was being given an award when Teixeira came out and asked: “Can we crash your party?”
“Unbelievable, everything he’s been able to accomplish,” Sabathia said. “His future is bright, sky’s the limit. It’s good to be here, and give him the recognition he deserves.
“He gives us inspiration. Everybody has a special relationship with their mother. The way he has gone about it and cares about his mother is special. Everybody admires it.”
A standout football player at St. Joseph, Quai, 18, has been the primary caregiver for Vaida since she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 12 years ago. He cooked her meals, did the laundry and grocery shopping and helped with all his mother’s needs. Nurses taught him to check Vaida’s blood pressure and inject her twice a day with Copaxone, a drug which eases the effects of MS. On his first day of high school, Quai carried his mother into the auditorium, because she wanted to see what her son’s new school looked like.
“There’s no surprise he’s a successful young man,” Teixeira said.
Vaida now has a professional caregiver who is with her for five hours each day and Quai’s father, Seth Davis, is also living with her. Yet, Quai still makes sure to talk to his mom two hours each night on the phone.
The extra responsibility never weighed him down. Actually, he never thought about it that way.
“God gives his hardest battles to his strongest soldiers,” Quai said. “A lot of people go through tough times and my story kind of shows them that even though you can hit rock bottom, you can come out on top. So no matter what, you put your best foot forward and everything will be taken care of.”