Thanks to Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, 10-year-old Austin Deckard was given a gift he’ll never forget before going into a risky surgery for a severe heart condition.
Deckard, who lives in Georgia and was diagnosed with advanced pulmonary hypertension only three weeks ago, got the surprise of a lifetime thanks to his elementary school teacher, Courtney Cooper. According to ESPN, she wrote on Facebook about her young student’s condition and his wish to meet his favorite player.
“Austin told me he ‘wished Cam Newton could come to his birthday party,'” Cooper wrote in her initial post. “Austin may not ever make it to an Auburn football game but I know social media is a strong force that can make things happen.” According to the post, doctors are unsure if Deckard will live through the surgery, which was moved from Wednesday, Dec. 28 to Friday, Dec. 30.
“I thought I had an unknown number but dude I’ve gotten about 100 calls about you,” Newton told a surprised Austin when he visited him at the hospital on Tuesday, Dec. 26. In the video below, Austin springs out of his hospital bed to give the NFL star a hug.
https://www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/article123283969.html/video-embed
Cooper thanked Newton in another Facebook post after news of his visit to the hospital spread.
“To Cam Newton- I may not ever meet you and that’s ok but what you did for this special little kid tonight made my year and shows compassion and love that we can all learn something from,” she wrote. “I know I will never forget this moment, that hug, and this video. And I know without a doubt that Taylor Austin won’t either.”