Debilitating diseases don't stop kids from cheering

COLUMBUS - Like most 15-year-old girls, Jacquelyn Daniel wanted to be a cheerleader. But after her diagnosis with lupus, a two-week coma and chemotherapy treatments, the Columbus girl figured she would be stuck watching the fun on television competitions. <br> <br> Thanks to a free program designed to teach cheerleading and tumbling to children with special needs, now Daniel is so busy with round-offs and cartwheels that she ends up sore. <br> <br> ``I used to watch the cheerleader competitions on TV. I thought I&#39;d like to do that,&#39;&#39; she said. ``I never thought I could. It&#39;s fun.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> A group of children with debilitating diseases gathers once a week to learn tumbling and the spirit-boosting art of cheerleading. They have autism, Down&#39;s syndrome and rare genetic disorders, but the seven members of the United Cheerleading Superstars don&#39;t flinch at forming a pyramid or flipping across the floor. <br> <br> High school cheerleaders volunteer to teach the classes, and they work with special education teachers to make sure the exercises are appropriate. <br> <br> ``It&#39;s very rewarding and a lot of fun to work with the kids,&#39;&#39; said Heath Perkins, who owns a company called United Cheerleading Columbus and used to cheer himself at the University of Georgia. <br> <br> Parents say the group has done an amazing job boosting confidence and getting the kids active. <br> <br> ``This is something so important, that they come to a place and be part of something where people are not giving them the cold shoulder or laughing at them,&#39;&#39; said Reggie Richards, whose 11-year-old autistic son Jeffrey Victor is on the squad. <br> <br> Other parents said the practices have become the highlight of their children&#39;s week. <br> <br> ``She&#39;s never been as excited about anything else,&#39;&#39; said Denise Swank, who has a 12-year-old daughter with a chromosome disease. ``As soon as she gets home she&#39;ll go out and do something learned here, and she does remember it.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Swank said it&#39;s not easy finding sports activities for children with special needs. <br> <br> ``Let&#39;s face it, there&#39;s not much for these children to do, especially as they get older. I wish there were,&#39;&#39; she told the Columbus-Ledger Enquirer. ``I certainly don&#39;t want Lori just sitting around the house.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Even though the group is only about a month old, some parents say their children have grown up years because of it. <br> <br> ``He&#39;s feeling more confident,&#39;&#39; said Richards, the mother of autistic Jeffrey. ``He wants to try new things like buttoning clothes, which he&#39;s never done before. <br> <br> ``Yes, it&#39;s going to help them physically, but spiritually, too. It&#39;s like they&#39;re thinking that if the people at cheerleading believe that they can do something, then they can do it.&#39;&#39;