MORRISTOWN, Tenn. (WJHL) – A teen popular in his Morristown, Tennessee neighborhood for sitting outside his house surrounded by signs reading “honk if you’re happy,” received a gift last week from a Tennessee-born entertainer known around the globe – Justin Timberlake.
Jake Stitt, 17, has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, but his family did not have a wheelchair accessible van.
That changed when pop icon Justin Timberlake learned about Stitt’s situation and decided to help.
Timberlake found out about an effort to raise money to buy Stitt a wheelchair accessible van. He reached out to the family on Tuesday and bought the vehicle.
“He caught the story and was just very touched with what was going on with this thing and he wanted to reach out and decided that he wanted to purchase the van for Jacob and his needs,” father Tim Stitt recalled. “It was just a … blessing to be able to speak to that gentleman and for him to be able to meet Jake and see what he needed.”
Jake and his father found out about the $35,000 gift Wednesday morning, the day before Thanksgiving.
“It’s going to make his life much easier as we go into our future and it’s going to make my life a lot easier because there’s not many people that can lift him up and sit him in a van like he needs,” Tim Stitt said. “It’s going to make our lives so much easier because of the independence he’s going to have as a young man now.”
Justin Timberlake told Jake the news over a Zoom call and then around 3 p.m. Wednesday, the van was delivered in a parade that came right to their house.
“It was a blessing and God bless,” Jake said.
The thousands of dollars raised to purchase the van will not go to waste.
Timberlake’s wish was that if he purchased the van, all money donated for the project would go to the Stitt family to help with Jake’s care.
“God’s always provided for us and we keep our faith and we’re thankful everyday,” Tim Stitt said. “It is a true meaning to Thanksgiving and all that’s happened and stuff and it’s a blessing to our family to make us be able to have peace and relax more and not have to have worries is amazing. It’s very humbling.”