It’s not every day you get to meet one of the best tight ends in NFL history. But one Make-A-Wish program participant from Ware, Mass., had the pleasure of doing so on New Year’s Eve.
Aiden Clark, a 17-year-old who’s struggled with seizures since he was six, was invited to Times Square in New York City to take part in FOX’s 2019 New Year’s Eve celebration, which Gronk helped host. Toward the end of the night, Clark took the stage to meet his longtime idol, who presented him with an autographed jersey and ball, as well as tickets to Super Bowl LIV in February.
Clark’s family kept the real reason for the trip a secret for two weeks. Instead, they simply told him they’d be ringing in the new year in New York City.
Clark compared the “unbelievable” experience to winning the lottery.
“That might have been the best night of my life,” he told WBZ-TV’s Ken McLeod on Wednesday, noting he “tried to keep his emotions under control.”
Sports, especially football, have played a significant role in Clark’s journey, which included brain surgery at Boston Children’s Hospital two years ago. The operation has helped drastically improve Clark’s life, even allowing him to play high school football this past fall.
“Sports is a great way to deal with trials and tribulations of life in a microcosm,” his father, Shawn, said.
And meeting Gronk this week was the cherry on top of an eventful 2019 for the Clarks.
“People are great,” Shawn said. “They care.”
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Incredible.
