DETROIT (WXYZ) — More than 600 family members facing life-threatening conditions stepped into Little Caesars Arena on Wednesday night to enjoy a Detroit Pistons game, thanks to a partnership with the organization A Kid Again.
Watch Christiana Ford's video report:
Nine-year-old Kendall Yarbrough, who has lupus, picked out her outfit the night before the game. At center court, her focus was on being the best fan she could be.
"Feeling good, pretty good," Yarbrough said, getting ready to go down to the court for the fan tunnel.
Her mom surprised her with the news the night before.
"Yesterday she told me I was coming and I got really excited and I couldn't really sleep," Yarbrough said.
For the fourth year, A Kid Again partnered with the Pistons to create a behind-the-scenes adventure tailored for children with medical conditions. The event removes barriers like dietary restrictions and accessibility issues so families can focus on having a good time.
"We give them opportunities to come to events like tonight to meet with other families going through similar situations as well as just giving them a time that they can be a family and be together," Amy Vining said.
Vining, the executive director of A Kid Again, has a personal mission to help these families.
"My youngest was born with a condition called craniosynostosis. He had his skull remodeled at 4 months old at CS Mott Children’s Hospital, and I've always been a part of the non-profit community," Vining said. "Going through that experience with my own child, his surgery corrected itself, but I saw so many children that were a part of the hospital at that time that were going to have lifelong complications from the conditions that they had, and I knew at some point in my non-profit journey that I wanted to give back to those families."
Vincent Larkins, a 9th grader living with an undiagnosed rare neuromuscular disorder, also attended the game with his mom and three brothers who share the same disorder.
"It seems like it’s a very big deal, and I’m pretty excited to see the players up in person. I’ve never done something like this before, so I’m pretty happy," Larkins said.
Their mom, Alison Zanella, says the event provided a rare moment of rest for the kids who stood alongside players during the National Anthem.
"The only normal kid thing they do is go to school. Everything else is therapy and doctors appointments every day," Zanella said."It was really just about a chance to give the kids a break and let them be kids for the night."
A Kid Again is a national organization with a mission to foster hope, happiness, and healing for children with life-threatening health conditions and their families. The organization provides cost-free, consistent, year-round activities that create meaningful shared experiences and joy-filled memories.
A Kid Again Michigan was established in December 2021 and currently serves more than 1850 families throughout the state.
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