Terminally Ill Mom Gets to See Her Son With Down Syndrome Score His First Touchdown

Debbie Heil is used to seeing her son Robby on the high school football field as the team's water boy, but during a special game last week, Robby — a senior who has Down syndrome — suited up to play on the field with his team. Debbie, who is terminally ill with bone cancer, wasn't expecting to see Robby make any plays, so the surprise his team and coach cooked up for her was enough to literally make her fall to her knees.

Robby's coach, Jeff Burnside, arranged a play just for Robby along with his team, the Wildcats, as well as the opposing local team. Robby would receive the ball in a handoff at the 30-yard line and make a run for it into the end zone as his mom, his biggest fan, watched from the sidelines. "I dropped to the ground, I was so emotional when I saw him make a touchdown," Debbie said. "I've always been proud of him as the water boy . . . but this is incredible. He's Rudy tonight."