San Francisco, CA - For one day only, 24 terminally ill children got to trade in their hospital beds for a VIP pass to the Super Bowl. The wish-granting event was made possible by Make-A-Wish America, in partnership with the NFL and Fanatics.
The young patients, aged between 12 and 17, were accompanied by NFL players Cam Little of the Jaguars, Arik Armstead of the Detroit Lions, and Penei Sewell from the same team. The players brought smiles to their faces as they posed for photos and signed autographs during a shopping spree at Pier 39's Lids store.
Among them was 16-year-old Alexander Rodriguez, who is now cancer-free after being diagnosed with a brain tumor. For him, seeing his favorite NFL players up close was the ultimate thrill. "Great, I feel special," he said, visibly overwhelmed.
The children also got to walk the red carpet at NFL Honors and enjoy a behind-the-scenes tour of Levi's Stadium before the big game on Sunday. Topgolf in San Jose welcomed them with a reception, where they were treated like celebrities.
For many of these young patients, this was more than just a once-in-a-lifetime experience - it was their last chance to feel the excitement and energy of the Super Bowl. For 17-year-old Alec Martinez, who is undergoing treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, seeing the bright side in his illness brought hope. "It makes it feel like maybe there wasn't all bad things that came out of having cancer," he said.
The children's wishes were granted as part of Make-A-Wish America's mission to bring joy and happiness to those affected by critical illnesses. For these 24 young patients, the Super Bowl experience will be a memory they'll cherish for the rest of their lives.
The young patients, aged between 12 and 17, were accompanied by NFL players Cam Little of the Jaguars, Arik Armstead of the Detroit Lions, and Penei Sewell from the same team. The players brought smiles to their faces as they posed for photos and signed autographs during a shopping spree at Pier 39's Lids store.
Among them was 16-year-old Alexander Rodriguez, who is now cancer-free after being diagnosed with a brain tumor. For him, seeing his favorite NFL players up close was the ultimate thrill. "Great, I feel special," he said, visibly overwhelmed.
The children also got to walk the red carpet at NFL Honors and enjoy a behind-the-scenes tour of Levi's Stadium before the big game on Sunday. Topgolf in San Jose welcomed them with a reception, where they were treated like celebrities.
For many of these young patients, this was more than just a once-in-a-lifetime experience - it was their last chance to feel the excitement and energy of the Super Bowl. For 17-year-old Alec Martinez, who is undergoing treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, seeing the bright side in his illness brought hope. "It makes it feel like maybe there wasn't all bad things that came out of having cancer," he said.
The children's wishes were granted as part of Make-A-Wish America's mission to bring joy and happiness to those affected by critical illnesses. For these 24 young patients, the Super Bowl experience will be a memory they'll cherish for the rest of their lives.
. These poor kids are just going through hell and then they get to live out some fantasy for one day? It's like the system is just trying to distract us from our own problems. 24 kids, all of them terminal, getting treated like rockstars? It's just not right 
. What about their actual treatment and care? Who gets to enjoy a VIP pass when they're stuck in the hospital all day? It's just another example of how our society only cares about the most privileged and lucky ones 
.
. It's not all sunshine and rainbows, folks. Sometimes it's just hard and painful. But hey, who needs reality when you can have a fancy red carpet and a football game, right? 
it's so amazing that some talented NFL players got to hang out with terminally ill kids on game day! It's like something straight out of an old-school Disney movie, you know? They're giving these kids the time of their lives, taking them on all these cool adventures. I'm thinking back to when I was a kid and we'd get to go to a concert or something with my siblings, it was always so epic 
and now this... it's just heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time 
. These kids are going through so much but for one day they got to be superstars and feel like anything is possible. I'm getting all nostalgic thinking about how special moments can make you feel, especially when you're not feeling your best 
.
Those kids are living their best life for ONE DAY and it's literally making my heart melt! 
The NFL players were so awesome with them too, that Cam Little must be a total sweetheart 
. And can we talk about Alexander's face when he met his fave players? 
it's like the ultimate superfan moment! 
I'm sending all these kiddos positive vibes and happy thoughts for the rest of their lives 
.
What I love most is how this event brought hope to these kids - for someone who's dealing with a tough time, having something like this happen can make all the difference. And let's not forget the top-notch treatment they got at Topgolf in San Jose... that's just icing on the cake 
. These kids are so lucky to have such amazing friends and experiences when they need it most 
. Alec Martinez's comment about finding hope in his illness gives me ALL THE FEELS 
can we just give these kids a standing ovation for being so strong and brave right now?! 
and for them, that means the world 
. It's just amazing how Make-A-Wish America can bring joy to people in such tough situations