Andrew Mathai’s dream to attend a Philadelphia Eagles game came true thanks to Make-A-Wish.
DALLAS — Andrew Mathai hasn’t missed watching a Philadelphia Eagles football game since he was five months old.
The 10-year-old North Texan has his father Thomas, a lifelong Eagles fan, to thank for that feat. But, he’s never actually been to a game. Thanks to Make-A-Wish, his dream of attending one came true and his video testimonial about quarterback Jalen Hurts certainly helped.
“I wanted to go to an Eagles game,” Andrew said. “Very big [fan]… very very big… biggest you can imagine.”
His parents, Thomas and Lisa, remember a time when their future seemed uncertain. At just eight months old, Andrew was diagnosed with Stage 3 Neuroblastoma. It was a moment that left them terrified.
“In that moment, you are not sure what’s going to happen. It’s frightening,” Lisa recalled.
Fast forward nearly ten years, and Andrew is cancer-free, one of the youngest survivors at the Dallas Children’s Hospital oncology program the parents said.
“When my parents told me I had [cancer], I imagined being in tubes hooked up to me,” Andrew shared.
Thanks to Make-A-Wish, Andrew’s dream came true. He and his family attended two Eagles games, met players, received signed memorabilia, and witnessed the Eagles win the NFC Championship over the Commanders. The North Texas chapter of Make-A-Wish worked with the Philadelphia chapter to make Andrew’s wish happen.
“I was thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s them! They look so small on TV,’” Andrew said.
For Andrew and his family, these memories are priceless. “These memories are something that’s going to last forever,” said Thomas. “They made Andrew feel top of the world,” said Lisa.
And for Andrew, it’s not just about the signed jerseys and memorabilia, it’s about the joy of feeling like a normal kid again.
“Sometimes it can mean a better medical outcome. And sometimes it can mean he goes to a football game and doesn’t feel like a sick kid,” said Make-A-Wish North Texas CEO and President Kim Elenez.
There are currently 1,200 children in the area waiting for their wishes to come true, with a two-year wait for each wish. Elenez said the organization is always looking for volunteers and donations to help grant more wishes. She said the hope is to grant 600 wishes this year.
“We are saying the impossible is possible. What we do know is that wish kids have better outcomes,” said Elenez.
Andrew has aspirations to start a sports-focused podcast. He wants to tailor the podcast to children like him who fought or are fighting cancer.
For Andrew, his wish turned into a lifetime of memories and a hope for others.
“I want to thank Children’s Hospital in Dallas, Make-A-Wish for allowing me to make memories. The Eagles, God, always number one,” Andrew said.
