Said Jackie Welker of Make-A-Wish America: "We are seeing so many members of the [Eagles] organization just coming forward and leaning in and embracing these families and just having these moments with these kids and these families just to light up their day. And you can tell it's just such a valued partnership."
Eagles Insider Dave Spadaro then took the families on a tour of the facility. One of the first stops was the auditorium, and on the way out, Eagles legend Brandon Graham stopped by. Graham gave some words of wisdom to the group and signed their jerseys (each boy also got a custom Kelly Green jersey upon signing).
The tour went through the Eagles Pro Bowl hallway, in front of the Super Bowl LIX shrine, and the weight room before breaking for lunch.
After eating in the team cafeteria, the group got to watch the end of practice. Once the final whistle blew, nearly every Eagles player came over to sign autographs and chat with the boys and their families.
Friday was filled with smiles from everyone involved. There were extra special experiences for each person, such as Christopher meeting his favorite player, DeVonta Smith. But there is still more to come, with the boys and their families staying in Philadelphia for the game on Sunday.
"You can just see the joy and the hope, and you just see their spirits lifted," Welker said. "These people that they see as such larger-than-life figures on television are now personal in their world, and it's just something money can't buy." — Written by Matt Ryan