He’s one of six people featured in the upcoming documentary “Tourette’s: Pushing People to Greatness.”

“Having a camera crew follow me around and having cameras on me is really cool,” said Jaylen.

The film will highlight the lives of six people finding success with tourette’s, including a NASA rocket scientist and the film’s director Stephen McCall.

“I hid my Tourette’s until I was 25,” McCall said. “So, I like it when I see children like Jaylen stepping out and putting their story out there saying ‘hey this is me.’”

McCall and his crew followed Jaylen to experience a day in his life. They even captured the moments when Jaylen’s tourette’s was more evident. The cameras also followed those closest to Jaylen too.

“When I first met Jaylen, I didn’t know what was going on,” said Jaylen’s friend, Ethan Whitaker. “I thought he was trying to get into trouble but he explained it to me and I started to get what was happening.”

“It’s cool to see what a great thing he’s doing by going into schools and talking about it,” said Jaylen’s younger sister, Nina Arnold.

The budding film star says he’s looking forward to continuing to spread his message.

“Don’t feel worthless or like you shouldn’t be on this earth just because you have tourette’s syndrome because you’re not alone,” said Jaylen.

Jaylen has set up a website for his organization “Jaylen’s Challenge” that focuses on stopping bullying. On the site, children can chat openly about their experiences with bullying inside a secure chat room on the site.

Source

“On June 16th, Carissa’s world was brought to a halt when she was hit by a drunk driver. She was participating in a group bike ride, which includes between 30-150 cyclists who meet up at a destined spot & cycle together 30-60 miles through Los Angeles County. Approximately 70 cyclists gathered at the bottom of a hill to wait for others to catch up when a 27 year old drunk driver, speeding at over 60+ mph, crossed over the solid white line and accelerated before slamming into the group of cyclists. Carissa was that drunk driver’s first victim. Carissa’s body was thrown a very far distance before landing in the water-filled gutter, where she was found unresponsive. In a coma in UCLA’s PICU unit, Carissa suffers MANY, MANY injuries which will take months, if not years, to heal from. She has a HUGE mountain to climb just to begin that healing.”

Read Carissa’s full story here at Jaylen’s Challenge and be sure to check out “Hugs for Carissa” here on Facebook as well.

Not in Lakeland.

But then not all films feature an actor whose Best Friend Forever is an exuberant Lakeland fourth-grader named Jaylen Arnold.

“Lifted,” an independent movie with a plot line that involves childhood bullying, will have a special screening Saturday night at the Polk Theatre, complete with a red carpet entrance by cast members. One of those actors is Dash Mihok, best known for his roles in “Romeo + Juliet” and “The Thin Red Line.”

Mihok, like Jaylen, has Tourette syndrome, a neurological disorder that causes involuntary and repetitive movements or speech or both.

In 2009, Mihok learned about Jaylen’s Challenge, an anti-bullying campaign created by Jaylen and his family and promoted on his website, www.jaylenschallenge.org. Mihok traveled to Lakeland to meet Jaylen a few months later, and the two quickly formed a close bond.

All proceeds from the showing of “Lifted” will benefit Jaylen’s Challenge, a non-profit organization whose main purpose is making anti-bullying presentations in schools.

Along with Mihok, teen actor Uriah Shelton will appear at the screening. Shelton, known for his role as Jeff Cargill on the Florida-based TV series “The Glades,” portrays Mihok’s son in “Lifted.”

A musical performance will follow the movie, with planned appearances from Mihok, Shelton and another cast member, guitarist Todd Simpson, along with his band Mojo Child. Though not in the cast, child actor Terrell Ransom Jr., who plays a boy with autism on the daytime drama “Days of Our Lives,” is also in the lineup.

Robin Arnold, Jaylen’s mother, said Arcadian Broad, a child dancer who was a semifinalist in 2009 on “America’s Got Talent,” also plans to perform. And of course Jaylen, 10, will be there.

The “Lifted” cast includes former “American Idol” champion Ruben Studdard and country singer Trace Adkins. As of Tuesday, Arnold had not confirmed that either would appear.

“Lifted,” shot in Alabama, is not scheduled for full release until later this year.

The movie, written and directed by Lexi Alexander, focuses on the relationship between a boy named Henry and his father. Henry’s family is beset by various pressures: His father is a reservist called to duty overseas, his mother is a recovering drug addict and the family is at risk of losing its house to foreclosure.

Henry, a target of taunting from schoolmates for being, as Shelton puts it, “different,” finds solace through a singing competition. Shelton, who has appeared in the TV programs “Trust Me” and “Little Monk,” said he had started taking voice lessons just two weeks before his agent called to suggest he audition for “Lifted.” Shelton sings about half a dozen numbers in the movie, including covers of “Forever Young” and “Ain’t No Sunshine.”

Shelton, 14, said he sees a connection between “Lifted” and Jaylen Arnold’s campaign.

“The way it ties in with the movie is just really Henry is different and that’s a target point for all the other kids in school,” Shelton said by phone. “Jaylen having Tourette makes him different, and people don’t like different so they single those people out.”

Mihok had previously worked with Alexander when he played the lead in her 2002 short film, “Johnny Flynton,” for which Alexander received an Oscar nomination. Mihok, a regular visitor to Lakeland since befriending Jaylen, said the themes of “Lifted” fit well with the purpose of Jaylen’s Challenge.

“I think this movie addresses matters of the heart, and it’s really about love and how that kind of conquers all and about the strength and bond of family,” Mihok said. “And I think Jaylen, when you meet him, is just all heart. There’s not an unloving cell in that kid’s body. He’s all about sharing and educating people and expressing love to everybody, and I think at the core of this movie it’s really a movie about love and taking care of each other.”

Shelton said meeting Mihok was an educational experience.

“I’ve never even heard of Tourette syndrome, but Dash Mihok, my dad in the movie, has Tourette syndrome, so I learned about that through him and learned about Jaylen through him,” Shelton said. “I spoke with Jaylen briefly (by phone). He’s a great kid. I can’t wait to meet him.”

Mihok, 36, said he talks to Jaylen on a weekly basis and has become the boy’s unofficial “uncle.”

“Anything I can do to help Jaylen figure out how to navigate this world with Tourette syndrome and share that with everybody like he does, I’m all for that,” he said.

“Lifted” has received endorsements from the National Veterans Foundation and the Stars and Stripes Foundation, and Robin Arnold said active military personnel will be admitted free to the screening.

Following the movie and the musical performances, a private party with cast members and celebrities will be held on the Polk Theatre’s mezzanine.

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Jaylens Challenge has decided to organize an annual 5K walk/run to assist in our fundraising efforts. It’s hoped that through success we can reach more emotional, depressed and in many cases suicidal students in our schools. Bullying in our schools is a serious problem. You simply cannot sit back and allow this to continue unchallenged. Our aim is to make a difference, our aim is to educate.

We need your help.

On Saturday, April 23rd, 2011 we will hold our annual Blue Ribbon 5K Run/Walk. All proceeds to benefit the Jaylens Challenge Foundation, Inc.

Event Information

Where: Lake Hollingsworth, Lakeland, Florida
Entry Fee: $20
Registration: 8am
Run/Walk Start Time: 9am

Please visit Jaylen’s Challenge for more information and to download the flyer and registration form.