Khameyea Jennings: Cancer-Stricken Teen Who Attended Prom With NFL Player Dies Just Weeks Later

Khameyea Jennings has lost her battle with cancer just weeks after the teen made national news by attending her high school prom with a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Jennings died on Friday after a battle with liver cancer. Jennings gained fame earlier this month when she attended her high school prom with NFL player Sen’Derrick Marks.

The high school senior almost skipped out on her high school prom, but her late grandmother helped change Khameya’s mind. A local non-profit organization called Dreams Come True helped the teenager make it a date to remember, arranging for Jaguars player Sen’Derrick Marks to accompany her.

It was quite a memorable event for Khameyea Jennings. It started with a surprise in her hospital room. Marks had coordinated with Khameyea’s mother to coordinate his promposal, then brought Jennings a bouquet of roses to ask her to the prom.

On prom night Marks showed up in his Lamborghini to accompany her, and the prom itself happened to be held at the Jacksonville zoo next to the jaguar exhibit.

Marks is described as a careful donor, supporting causes but doing so only after looking into them closely, but he reportedly jumped at the chance to help the cancer-stricken teen.

“I really want to make a difference,” Marks said that night. “I want to do something where you actually make someone’s day, to make a difference in someone’s life.”

Khameyea Jennings had a tragic story. She was diagnosed with cancer on Mother’s Day in 2013, but was determined to continue living a normal life. Khameyea kept up with her school work from her hospital bed, and was even able to graduate high school early.

But despite her determination, tragedy followed Khameyea. Her grandmother, who helped raise the teen, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and died in March.

That made the prom that much more important to Khameyea. Family members said she wanted to have a day where she felt normal and not think about her battle with cancer.

“She said this is a day to be normal, not to have to worry about needles, chemo, potassium levels,” said Khameyea’s mother, Laquandra Jennings. “Just a day to be a teenager and enjoy the prom.”

But Sen’Derrick Marks made it much more than that. Classmates cheered Khameyea and her date as the entered the prom, with the teen flashing a big smile. The story itself went viral, getting coverage from a number of national outlets and leading to an outpouring of support for the teen and her family.

Khameyea Jennings lost her battle on Friday. She was 18.

[Image via Twitter]