INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, Fla — South Florida is home to plenty of Miami Dolphins, but those Fins fans reach all the way to Indian River County.
In Vero Beach, at the Jones residence, you will find a home filled with plenty of memorabilia and décor, signed jerseys and helmets, hats, even stuffed animals. But at the center of the home, the biggest fan: Maci Jones.
Maci was adopted by Lisa and Darin Jones when she was just two years old, after she was beaten and nearly died, allegedly by her birth mother’s boyfriend. The pain and suffering ultimately led to a new beginning with the Jones family.
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“We were on our way home from a Miami Dolphins game when I got the phone call about whether we would adopt her or not,” said Darin Jones.
It was an easy yes. Now, amidst daily therapy sessions and monthly hospital visits, football season is Maci’s favorite time of year. As season ticketholders, you can catch the family at almost every game.
“We know that come Sunday, after church, we’re going to come home and watch the Miami Dolphins or we’re going to the game,” said Jones.
Maci is recognized at the games. They call her “Fin-derella." The colors aqua and orange are a part of her wardrobe.
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“Everyone knows Maci,” said Lisa Jones. “They just kind of adopted Maci. They all just took her in.”
You will find Maci dancing through the tailgates and up in the stands, cheering and singing.
“It’s a reaction that she has that is kind of giddy,” said Darin. “To see her happy, it’s uncontrollable. She just gets so excited and shakes.”
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Darin said they look at Maci’s hospital visits down in Miami and coordinate them with the games. He said it helps the family move forward.
“It’s the escape,” said Darin. “You have to focus on the positives, you can’t think about the negatives. For us, that’s what it’s all about, seeing her happy.”
It’s the power of hope and love, exemplified through Maci’s smile.
“Ultimately our hope is that she’ll be able to get by when we’re not around,” said Darin. “And still be a Miami Dolphins fan, forever.”
