“It was truly a dream come true to go to the preseason matchup of the the Dallas Cowboys vs. the Houston Texans,” exclaimed Joe. The Houston area native had followed the Cowboys since the franchise’s inception and had been to a game many years ago. Joe’s son recalled just how faithful his father was to the Dallas Cowboys. He joked, “When I was a boy, I knew that Sunday dinner would be joyous if the Cowboys won, or quiet if they lost.”
Joe said his hopes of watching his Cowboys play again in person had been dashed when his legs were partially amputated due to health issues. Later he developed kidney disease and then was diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer.
Joe’s health problems are so severe that he is confined to bed most of the time, requiring 24-hour care at his son’s home. Arranging the special event was truly a labor of love for Joe’s “winning team”— Silverado Hospice and volunteers. Thanks to the generous donation of four tickets, Joe was able to give back to the man who has transported him to and from dialysis three times a week for seven years by sharing one of the donated tickets with his young teenage son.
They converted the donated tickets to a handicapped eating section around the 50 yard line, close enough to almost “reach out and touch” the players. Two hospice volunteers went along for morale and back-up support, including a nurse/volunteer who had previously cared for Joe. The Silverado team carried their star Joe through to his greatest “touchdown.”
What was the very favorite part of the game for this special hospice patient? “When Dallas scored, of course, and the food,” Joe exclaimed. Every picture taken of Joe at the game shows a different food or beverage in his hand, along with a BIG smile on his face!
“Going to the Cowboys game gave me more excitement about living,” said Joe. “I live day by day, according to what the Lord has to say. Going to this game added a new dimension to my LIFE.”
