Tairih King, a nine-year-old Dorchester boy diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, was sworn-in as “Co-Commissioner for the Day” for the Massachusetts Probation Service before his family and Probation employees in the Office of Probation Commissioner Pamerson Ifill last month.

This ceremonial kick-off helped spotlight National Pretrial, Probation, and Parole Supervision Week, which was July 22-27.

King has gone through several tough rounds of treatment at Dana Farber’s Jimmy Fund Clinic and was a Make-a-Wish recipient earlier this year, allowing him to meet Celtics star Jayson Tatum during the team’s world championship run.

“We were elated to have Tairih, his brother, and parents join us for this ceremonial swearing in and he did such an amazing job. Tairih is a wonderful young man, and we were happy to launch our first event recognizing him and having him serve as my Co-commissioner,” said Commissioner Ifill.
The theme of this years’ Probation Supervision Week was “Wellness Unveiled: Navigating the Journey.” The observance is set by the American Probation and Parole Association (APPA).

As part of the ceremony, King assisted Commissioner Ifill in signing the department’s new Victim Policy, which supports victims, survivors, and their families and considers crime and circumstances that continue to impact the victims and survivors. King and his parents, Kyanna and Shawn King, and family were treated to lunch. King attends Cabot Elementary in Newton as part of the METCO Program, and is a member of Tony Richard’s “No Books, No Ball” basketball team where he is affectionately referred to as “Swaggi T.”