CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) RESOURCE CENTER Read More
Add To Favorites

Penguins fan with cerebral palsy gets wish to go to game

Tribune-Review - 3/4/2017

March 04--Mike Moore always wanted to see the Penguins play in person, but cerebral palsy made a trip to PPG Paints Arena a challenge.

On Friday, the 24-year-old got the chance -- after being surprised with tickets for the game that night against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Pittsburgh by the Twilight Wish Foundation.

Beth Moore of Latrobe said she is familiar with the work of the Make a Wish Foundation, which grants "wishes" to children with serious illnesses. She was gratified to learn about a group that would do the same for adults like her son, a permanent resident at the Murrysville Rehabilitation and Wellness Center who has had cerebral palsy since he was 9 months old.

"It's great there's an organization out there to do this for people," she said.

Mike Moore was called into the wellness center's dining room Friday afternoon, where he was surprised with tickets for him and his mom donated by the Penguins. He also received team merchandise.

Moore is an unusual client for Twilight Wish. The national organization, founded in Doylestown in 2003, usually fulfills wishes for the elderly. Previously, the Western Pennsylvania chapters have helped area seniors take dream trips to Las Vegas, go horseback riding and skydive.

Most Twilight Wish volunteers are health care professionals who care about making the lives of the sick and elderly more fun, said Jamie Bostard, regional director of the Westmoreland County chapter.

"We're all pretty passionate," she said.

Despite his youth, Moore was eligible because he is a permanent resident at a nursing home, Bostard said.

Murrysville Rehabilitation and Wellness Center activity director Holly Morrison recently learned about Twilight Wish, and she thought Moore was the perfect candidate, she said.

She filled out his application and organized Friday's surprise. She described Moore as a cheerful, grateful young man who participates in all the center's activities.

"He's just a great guy. I could give him a popsicle, and he would be in tears," she said. "He's very involved, very loving, very passionate."

Jacob Tierney is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-836-6646 or jtierney@tribweb.com.

___

(c)2017 Tribune-Review (Greensburg, Pa.)

Visit Tribune-Review (Greensburg, Pa.) at www.triblive.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.