Twins Practice With FC Dallas After Having Lifesaving Surgery
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FRISCO (CBSDFW.COM) - They underwent a life-changing surgery to correct a severe case of scoliosis. Now the 17-year-old twin brothers from Ethiopia, who are big soccer fans, got to live out one of their fantasies and kick the ball around with FC Dallas players.
Tamirat and Markos Bogale are still recovering from spine surgery. While scoliosis prevented them from being active, today they were at the Toyota Stadium in Frisco playing the sport they love!
The teenagers even reunited with FC Dallas player Atiba Harris.
"I'm very excited," said Markos. "Atiba is a good player and a good person."
The trio bonded after Harris met the boys and gave them each a jersey… ones it seems they haven't taken off since.
It was in early December when Tamirat and Markos arrived in North Texas. The boys were able to get free surgery to correct their back problems through a partnership with the Texas Back Institute and Medical Center of Plano.
The trips to the operating room aren't over. This Friday Tamirat will have another surgery to place permanent rods in his back. For now, he and his brother are staying with Cheryl Zapata, who is the chief development officer at the Texas Back Institute.
Zapata says the brothers are attending high school and adjusting well. "This really truly has changed their lives, just the way that they talk about the way that they were bullied when they were younger or the health issues they were having… just to see them running around healthy and happy is just amazing."
The boys are expected to be here in North Texas for at least another six to eight weeks until they fully recover.
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