Connor Hennick, a 14-year-old, has dreamed of going to the Super Bowl for as long as he can remember. Now, the self-declared lifelong Steelers fan is headed to the San Francisco Bay Area for the Super Bowl LX through Make-A-Wish.
The Hennick family, of McCandless, arrived at their hotel around 5 p.m. Wednesday night for what will be five days worth of specialized Super Bowl events.
Melanie Hennick, Connor Hennick’s mother, said he was diagnosed with neuromuscular disorder at the age of 2, but has not let his disorder keep him from loving sports.
“We try and live every day to the fullest,” she said.
Hennick uses a wheelchair part time, plays adaptive baseball, hockey, and has competed in the Special Olympics for flag football.
Wednesday night, Hennick joined 23 other children at a welcome reception at Topgolf where the kids were able to connect with one another with a trading card activation hosted by Topps.
Hennick told TribLive before the reception that he planned to wear a black-and-gold suit along with a Steelers themed tie to represent Pittsburgh.
While the Steelers were eliminated during playoffs, Hennick is staying loyal to his city.
He will be supporting the Seattle Seahawks over the Steelers’ conference rival, the New England Patriots.
“I don’t want the Patriots to win,” Hennick said.
Last fiscal year, Make-A-Wish Greater Pennsylvania and West Virginia granted 53 wishes to children in Allegheny County.
Over the past 44 years, Make-A-Wish in partnership with the National Football League Fanatics has granted more than 300 Super Bowl wishes.
“When a child is diagnosed with a critical illness, a piece of their childhood is stolen from them. Suddenly, life revolves around painful treatments, hospital stays and worries about the future,” said Dana Antkowiak, a spokeswoman for Make-A-Wish. “It’s not the trip, the party or the puppy that matters most — it’s the life-changing impact felt by the children and their families.”
Hennick, whose favorite Steelers player is linebacker T.J. Watt, said he’s been a Steelers fan since birth. His mother shared photos of Hennick as a baby with the Steelers’ black-and-gold rally towel draped over him.
“I just love football,” Hennick said.
On Thursday, Make-A-Wish families got a behind-the-scenes tour of Levi’s Stadium followed by attendance at the 15th NFL Honors.
The rest of the week Hennick will have the opportunity to create a sidekick at the Build-A-Bear x NFL Shop station, receive a $200 credit for official Super Bowl LX merchandise and explore San Francisco before attending the game on Sunday.