Ava (aged 11) from Kildare, who lives with multiple medical conditions wished to meet Beauden Barrett and the All Blacks Team.
She practices kicking in her back garden and thinks that Beauden Barrett is the ‘main man’. With the help of Make-A-WIsh Ireland’s friends in Make-A-Wish New Zealand and IrishRugby, they were able to grant this wish.
Make-A-Wish has one simple aim – to grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions, to bring hope, strength and happiness.
The All Blacks contacted them during the week of the big game and invited Ava and her mum Laura to the Captain’s Run at the Aviva Stadium on Friday afternoon. Ava was thrilled, letting out yelps of excitement at the sight of the team running out onto the pitch!
Ava (11) from Kildare, who lives with multiple medical conditions wished to meet Beauden Barrett and the All Blacks team. A huge thanks to @AllBlacks who went above and beyond to put the smile on Ava’s face. Read Ava’s wish story here – https://t.co/RxPdYgvhD2 #MagicalMonday pic.twitter.com/tW2SXu0U1D
— Make-A-Wish Ireland (@MakeAWish_ie) November 19, 2018
They sat close to the 22, and when a ball bounced into the stand, Ava threw it back to Jordi Barrett and waved at him. Later when she met him, he thanked her for throwing the ball – she was in awe.
They met most of the back line, got photographs with them and those she liked, she invited them all back to her house for a pyjama party and a hot chocolate! The players signed her rugby ball and listened to her teddy bear which chanted the Haka.
Both Barrett boys (Jordi and Beauden) signed a miniature All Blacks ball and she christened it the ‘Barrett Ball’ immediately! They posed for photographs and answered her questions. All of the players were wonderful and genuinely looked pleased to meet her.