Luke Kuechly made a birthday wish come true for a fan with autism and cerebral palsy
Luke Kuechly and the Carolina Panthers are 12-0, on top of the NFL, and you can’t turn on a sports channel without hearing about the unlikely stars of the 2015 season. Despite all this attention Kuechly hasn’t forgotten to stay humble and on Friday night he made a dream come true.
Jessica Hayes, age 21, is just like most young girls in Charlotte, which means loving the Panthers’ All-Pro linebacker. She wears his jersey on game day, but had no clue the surprise that would happen on her birthday, courtesy of WBTV. Jessica has autism, cerebral palsy and is partially blind, but her connection with Kuechly was immediate, hugging him and grasping him tightly around his neck. He accompanied her to the party complete with a DJ, friends and, of course, a Luke Kuechly cake.
For Kuechly and the Panthers, it’s all about giving back.
“I just like to think of myself as a normal guy,” Kuechly said. “But if I can go down there and make her happy for her birthday, makes it fun and worth it.”
Kuechly joked that maybe he wasn’t going to get quite the reaction he was hoping for when he met Jessica.
“[Hopefully] she’s not thinking, ‘ooohhhhh... I wanted Cam to come’,”
The Panthers continue their quest for a deep playoff run and possibly a Super Bowl, but for now they’re already big winners off the field.
