When Blue Devil fans recall tight end David Reeves, they are likely to remember a towering, 6-foot-5 bruiser barreling down the gridiron against opposing defenses as a part of one of the winningest senior classes in Duke history. Reeves caught 47 passes for 367 yards and seven touchdowns in his career, and became the first Blue Devil in program history to record touchdown receptions in multiple bowl games.
But success on the field does not define David Reeves. Instead, it is his heart off the field that makes a lasting impression.
On April 6, Reeves received a phone call asking if he would be willing to escort Jasmine Bagley, a high school student, to her senior prom the following Saturday night. Jasmine, who is in her third year battling leukemia, wanted to have a special night at her prom, a wish that was being granted by the Meg’s Smile Foundation. But her initial commitment had canceled on short notice, leaving her without a date.
And that’s where Duke’s redshirt senior came in.
“It was kind of short notice but luckily I was able to find a tux in time to be dressed appropriately for the prom,” Reeves said. “My initial reaction was I was a little shocked, a little surprised at first, because for one I didn’t really know what to expect as far as a high school prom goes…. After I decided to go ahead and go through, I put that aside and was able to realize that however I felt was worth it because she needed to have a good day because she had already been stood up.”
Reeves agreed to grant the wish for Jasmine and help out Meg’s Smile, a foundation devoted to giving “smiles” to young children in North Carolina that are battling serious illnesses. Founded by Jim and Terri Wasley in memory of their daughter Meg—who passed away from a brain tumor at the age of eight in January 2011—the foundation’s goal is to create smile-worthy events designed around the child’s interest and physical capabilities to make the day as special as possible.
Meg’s Smile has strong connections with Duke—Meg was treated at Duke Children’s Hospital and was supported by the Blue Devil women’s lacrosse team during her battle with the disease. As a result, Jim Wasley was able to line up a new prom date through a friendship in the university faculty—George Grody, an associate professor and a board member of the National Board of Advisors for the Duke Children’s Hospital.
With Grody’s help, Wasley set up Reeves for his date with Jasmine, help him get a tuxedo and pick him up at his home in Durham before driving an hour and a half to Roanoke Rapids, N.C., for Jasmine’s special Saturday night.
“I haven’t personally [worked with Meg’s Smile before]. I know that the team had through George at the children’s hospital,” Reeves said. “I had heard of it, but I had never had the chance to meet Jim Wasley, who is the founder of it. I got a chance to talk to him the entire ride up to Roanoke Rapids.”
And once Reeves and Wasley arrived to pick up Jasmine, the two were met by a thrilled young lady ready for her big night.
“She just lit up. She was excited,” Reeves said. “I knew that this was a big, big event for her and I could tell that she looked like—I could tell the sense of excitement…. She also said that she didn’t expect me to be so tall, which was kind of a funny moment.”
Although Reeves was five years removed from his own senior prom and said he was initially worried about the age difference, the Greensboro, Ala., native said that the event went off without a hitch. Reeves and Bagley went out to dinner before the dance, took pictures together and then spent the rest of the evening dancing the night away.
When asked how it compared to his own senior prom, Reeves said that it was not his place to find his own fun, but instead about Jasmine enjoying her night and having the memory of her “smile.”
In the end, Jasmine did smile. But although it was her big day, she may have made a bigger impression on Reeves that will last forever.
“It was definitely a life-changing moment. You’re getting set to spend time with someone who is battling something that you can’t even imagine at this point, and also understand how blessed you are to be able to give back and within giving back be able to see how fortunate you are to have health,” Reeves said. “She was one of the strongest people that I’ve ever met, to be able to face something like that head-on. You get a renewed respect for people who are battling these type of illnesses and I’m thankful for Meg’s Smile Foundation for being able to reach out and do the things that they’ve done…. It’s a blessing overall to be able to be a part of that.”
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