BOCA RATON — The diagnosis was painful and perhaps, at first, overwhelming.
But John and Sara Jakus knew their lives, their focus, was about to drastically change.
Forever.
The couple was living in Macedonia, a region of Southeast Europe. John’s mission at that time was to combine his faith with coaching basketball, which he was accomplishing by joining the staff of Athletes in Action, a sports ministry. His ambition was to coach overseas.
“I kind of was taught from them what it meant to use basketball to change people’s lives and not just make it transactional,” John said. “Instead, you make it transformational.”
But all of that was put on hold when in 2011 their middle child, Cal, was diagnosed with autism. Cal was 3, and was not speaking. The Jakuses were told he may never talk.
“Who he was at 12 was probably who would be long term,” they were told.
That day started a long journey that John and Sara believe led him where he is today, head basketball coach at Florida Atlantic University.