These teens have been through a lot in their young lives, and now they’re getting to sit back and enjoy the weekend of a lifetime!
This year, Make-A-Wish is sending 15 kids and their families to Los Angeles to watch the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams face off forSuper Bowl LVI. The weekend trip also marks the 40th anniversary of the first Super Bowl wish the organization granted in 1982.
Ahead of the big game, the kids got to attend the NFL Honors awards show in Los Angeles and have red carpet moments of their own.
The 18-year-old, who got the chance to meet some of the game’s biggest players — includingRob Gronkowski— on Thursday, was feeling well enough to attend the trip after getting a bone marrow transplant from his older sister.
(L-R) Rob Gronkowski and BJ.Make-A-Wish
“I never really thought I would probably make it past 18 because of all the stuff I was going through,” BJ says, explaining that having to go through the same treatments every month took a toll on his mental health.
But the bone marrow transplant from his sister was a “blessing” that allowed him to “be healthy.”
“It’s only up from here,” he says.
L-R: Mom Nichelle, BJ, older sister Trinity and twin sister Nya.Make-A-Wish
Although football super fan Nathan Eller wasn’t able to have his Super Bowl wish granted last year due to the ongoing pandemic, this year he has something “amazing” to celebrate: finishing his cancer treatment.
“I feel healthy and I feel really good,” he says, adding that he was so excited he “wasn’t able to sleep at all” before Thursday’s ceremony.
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Nathan with family.Make-A-Wish
The 19-year-old from Kent, Washington, went through 28 months of treatment for a cancerous mass in his chest before completing treatment in October.
“I feel like this trip…I’m happy that it’s actually happening now,” he says. “It’s almost a culmination of everything that we went through as a family. I’m really happy that we get to experience that together.
Even though his beloved Seattle Seahawks didn’t make it to this year, Nathan couldn’t be more excited for thehalftime show.
“The first song I ever memorized through and through was anEminemsong,” he says. “It was funny because it’s explicit, but I was in the third grade so my parents only let me listen to the clean version so I was missing every other word.”
Nathan and dad Brad.Make-A-Wish
As for who’s going to win the game, BJ didn’t hesitate in sharing his pick.
“The Bengals because of Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase,” he said, giving a shout-out to the team’s quarterback as well as one of their wide receivers.
Both teens are also incredibly grateful to Make-A-Wish.
“This is the greatest sporting event in America, honestly in the world. And I’m so happy to be here,” Nathan says, calling the opportunity “my dream come true.”
“You guys are a lifesaver,” adds BJ. “So thank you.”
The 2022 Super Bowl will be broadcast live on NBC and Telemundo from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2022. It can also be live-streamed onPeacock.
source: people.com
