University of Texas cheerleaders give Austin woman in wheelchair chance to cheer for them

“Let’s go!” “Hold, hold, hold!” “Yes!”
From the sidelines of the Moody Center, Jazmin Campbell cheers on the University of Texas cheerleaders and pom squad as they practice before the final women’s basketball regular season game on Sunday. She counts out the steps with them: “One and three and five and seven and one and three and five and seven and … ”
Campbell, 21, was a high school cheerleader, the flyer at the top of the pyramid, until she lost her mobility because of a rare disease: a form of stiff person syndrome. Campbell was featured in the 2024 Statesman Season for Caring, a program that helps a dozen featured families and individuals and then helps hundreds of others through local nonprofits. Campbell was nominated by Austin Palliative Care, which helps people who have debilitating chronic diseases.