Credit: NFL/x.com.
While Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley and rest of the Philadelphia Eagles are headed to Super Bowl LIX, they’ll be joined by a local “rising star” in New Orleans.
In a pregame ceremony before the NFC Championship game against the Washington Commanders, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell surprised an Ambler mom and her son with tickets to the big game.
Tiffany Williams and her son, Jayden, made national news about a year ago as Tiffany donated her kidney to Jayden last June. Jayden suffered from chronic kidney disease from the time he was born and eventually Tiffany was a match as a donor.
The local pair's story was made known in local media outlets.
Before the game, Tiffany and Jayden had no idea they were going to receive such a lavish surprise. They were on the field during warmups and the NFL commissioner happened to spark up a conversation with them.
“The Eagles and the NFL want to do something special for you since you’ve been such a great inspiration,” Goodell said. “So, we want you two to go to the Super Bowl as our guests.”
Watch the ticket presentation here.
Both Tiffany and her son stood in disbelief for a few seconds after the announcement was made. Jayden looked down and rubbed his hands together before revealing a smile and exclaimed, “Thank you!”
For Tiffany Williams and her son, Jayden, it’s been a long-winding road and, finally, there’s some light at the end for the tunnel. Jayden had to endure dialysis treatments that would last eight hours, but after Tiffany found out she was a match to donate her kidney to her son, it was a no brainer.
“I made the choice to be a donor for my son because he needs it,” Tiffany told 6 ABC News. “I’d rather him receive something from me than have to wait for a long time. I don’t care, whatever organ or body part, whatever he needed he was going to get.”
Jayden is one of 55 students of Ambler’s Rising Stars Homework Club. The club’s goal is to help close the achievement gap by exposing younger children to a wide range of learning activities, to help them form bonds with many community volunteers and to make learning fun. Jayden, among his other peers, have benefited greatly from the program.
“He was so lucky to have been chosen to attend the Super Bowl,” said Patti Fabiani, director of the Rising Stars Homework Club.
“I hope this brings awareness to others who are thing about it or know someone who needs an organ,” Tiffany said. “You never know how much of a difference you can make.”
Before surgery, Jayden explained how his daily routine went.
“I have these huge pills that look like horse pills,” Jayden said in the report. “You have to chop them up and take them three times a day. You take it like a champ!”
For more information on the Rising Stars Homework Club, click here.
For more information on kidney disease, click here.
