There are few moments in life that are truly altruistic. When Novi High School in Michigan took the time from their football game to allow a player with down syndrome’s dream to come true and score a touchdown, they made the world a better place. Read on to find out exactly what happened on that incredible night.
Robby Heil is a student at Novi High School and a huge fan of football. As Robby suffers from down syndrome he never had the chance to play football or have the opportunities that many ‘ordinary’ kids have. The team went out of their way to support Robby all the same. He has been in charge of water since he was a freshman, a role for which the students have awarded him the title “hydration manager”.
On one Friday night, they decided to go a step further. They decided to make Robby’s dream come true and give him the chance to score a touchdown. The play had been run many times in training as a treat for Robby but this time it was in front of a full crowd as Novi were playing local rivals. The plan was made and in the second quarter, Robby was brought on for a special play. The ball was handed off to him and he ran the field to score a touchdown.
The sensational moment was emotional for everyone on the field and in the crowd, especially Robby’s mother, Debbie. Debbie suffers from terminal bone cancer and to see her son score a touchdown was something she never dreamed of. She dropped to the floor in tears as the moment brought her such joy.
The players of Novi High School took five minutes out of their game to make the dreams of one young man come true. 5 minutes to bring his mother tears and give Robby the greatest moment of his life. It is a moment that makes us all think, are there simple things that we can do in our lives to help those around us? If so why aren’t we doing them? Start now.
