Boy with a rare bone disorder became a quarterback for a day—the team was stunned when he started playing
Many kids dream of things they would like to do as adults. A boy with a rare bone disorder had one such dream, too. The 12-year-old, Jase Garland, had always hoped to become a quarterback and play for his favorite team, the Carolina Panthers, during an NFL game. He had been diagnosed with Myelodysplastic syndrome, a rare bone condition that can lead to leukemia. He needed a bone transplant and after he received one, the Make-A-Wish Foundation reached out to him to fulfill one of his wishes, per the Good News Network.
It all began when Jase's mom, Erin, noticed bruises building up on his body a couple of years ago. They went to a doctor and received the diagnosis of a rare bone disorder. The boy was told that he would need a bone transplant at some point. Jase received a bone marrow transplant and the organization reached out to him to fulfill one of his wishes, hoping that it would help him through his recovery. The idea was that it might give the boy something to look forward to. The North Carolina boy expressed that he really wanted to be a quarterback for the Carolina Panthers. He shared that his dream and his love for football had helped him through the various challenges he had to face because of his illness.
The team and the foundation could finally make the boy's dream come true recently, as he wore the uniform and got on the football field with the team. Jase met the head coach, Dave Canales and the quarterbacks of the team, Bryce Young and Andy Dalton. The team's general manager, Dan Morgan, also drew up an official contract for the boy and made him sign it. Jase went to the weight room, met the team's mascot, SirPurr. Then his moment finally arrived as he received his helmet and a number 26 jersey with his name stitched on the back. On August 2, during the intra-squad scrimmage at Panther's Fan Fest night, the coaches sent Jase to play on the field.
He managed to get the ball and reach the end zone with it as he scored a touchdown. The team circled around Jase to celebrate as he danced to enjoy his big moment. The team's center, Austin Corbett, even lifted the boy up in the air to rejoice at what he managed to achieve. The moment was also big for Jase's family, who were glad to see his joy in that moment. "So it sounds maybe cliche…He’s just taking this like a champ because he’s had to be away from everybody for so long, so it’s just, it’s been—I’m impressed. I’m very impressed by him," his mom expressed in a story from the team's page. Jase had a great time interacting with the team as he asked them a bunch of questions about football.
A wish, a dream, and a perfect play for Jase Garlandhttps://t.co/nj94EgGmiE
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) August 4, 2025
"He watches the stats and watches the clips and plays football on his video games and stuff. That's what's helped him, I think, make it through," Erin explained. "We're signing you to a long-term deal here, man, it's a big deal. Multi-year deal, cause we want you here a long time," Morgan told Jase. The boy might have to keep getting treatments for quite some time."He'll always have the risk of lung damage and hearing damage. But hopefully the leukemia part will be (gone)," the mom added.