North Texas Child With Cerebral Palsy Scores Touchdown In Pee Wee Football Game
KEMP, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - A handoff to 11-year-old Elijah Gorden during a Pee Wee Football game in Kemp on Saturday led to a priceless moment.
What happened next, helped him check off his bucket list and left everyone watching, in a bucket of emotion.
It was late in the third quarter as Kemp and Quinlan were locked in a battle, when Elijah got the ball.
As he ran for daylight, the parents in the stands had a hard time seeing anything.
Everybody was crying and in tears, and it was just a real heartfelt moment," said Elijah's mother, Crista Sallings.
The opposing coaches who drew up the play together, watched as Elijah turned the corner with a big grin and began steaming down the sideline.
In that moment, he was no different than his heroes he watched on TV.
Even the Quinlan players began to clap.
"It was emotional, said Sallings. "We never thought he would have that experience."
Elijah was born at just 30 weeks and diagnosed with cerebral palsy before he was 2 years old, but he's always loved sports.
But on Saturday, it was two coaches and two teams putting on a clinic on sportsmanship, and an important lesson on how to treat others who may be different than you.