Man's final wish: meet Green Bay Packers or Seahawks players
PORT ORCHARD, Wash. (KOMO) - A Port Orchard man has one final wish before illness takes his life. He's a huge Green Bay Packers fan and wants to meet some of the players next month when the Seattle Seahawks are at Lambeau Field.
Josh McCall, 30, was diagnosed with cerebral palsy shortly after birth. His family made the difficult decision last week to put him in hospice after numerous surgeries and infections.
"Everything is day by day. It could be six months, it could be a year, it could be next week," said Stacey McCall who is Joshua McCall's Mom.
The family fears this will be Josh's last football season, so once they put him in hospice they decided to get tickets to Lambeau Field for the December 11 game against the Seattle Seahawks. Josh is going with his parents and caretaker. Their tickets to the game were also a challenge to get because Josh needs wheelchair accessible seating.
"(Josh) has never walked but his mind is brilliant and he has a passion for sports of all kinds," said McCall. "He has a heart of gold."
Even though Josh is going to the game he still has one final wish. "I wish that I would be able to meet the players," said Josh who spoke at times with the assistance of his Mom at his side.
Josh will be rooting for the Packers on game day, but is hoping to meet players from either team.
"He doesn't really care. He likes both of them. They're both his favorite team," said Stacey McCall.
It's a simple wish for a guy whose been confined to a wheelchair his entire life and has never complained.
"One of the things that has always touched my heart about Josh is that he always has a smile for everybody and a good word," said McCall. "He never gets upset. He's never gotten mad about his situation. He's never gotten down."
He's had 30 surgeries and has suffered infections that required doctors to remove some of his organs last year to save his life.
It's been Josh's lifelong dream to watch his beloved Packers at Lambeau Field. He wants to be there to experience the noise, the crowd-- even the snow.
"He told me the other day, ‘Mom, I’m praying for snow. I really want a snowy football game at Lambeau Field.' I’m like 'Are you kidding me?'" recalled McCall.
Josh just wants a close-up of all the action and the players.
"I can't even imagine his expression when he walks in there. I'm really ecstatic to see that," said McCall.
Josh said he doesn't have a favorite Green Bay Packers player, but Russell Wilson is his favorite Seahawks player. He fell in love with the Packers when he was 10 years old because of Reggie White.
"(Josh") saw him in a prayer circle and he did a lot for the communities that he was in and he was just a good person. He was a good man," said McCall about her son's love of the Packers.
Josh just needs to tie-up one final wish and is hoping for more time.
"Time is crunched right now so we're just praying for a miracle that he makes it there and that we get back and everything's OK," said McCall. "We have a huge faith in the Lord and I know that God will get us through it and he'll see us through until the end," said McCall.
Friends have set up a Go Fund Me account to help Josh's family and caretaker pay for the trip expenses.
