21 Boys With Muscular Dystrophy Meet Their Favorite Players at New England Patriots Training Camp

The thrill of interacting with New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick made for a memorable day at Patriots training camp on Tuesday, Aug. 13, for a group of 21 boys and young men from The Jett Foundation living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

“This is awesome,” said Ryan, an elated – and very knowledgeable - young Patriots fan as his favorite player, Brady, autographed his football and posed for a photo following a joint practice with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers behind Gillette Stadium.

The group, ages 2-23, were joined by friends and families for a day of fun and football courtesy of the Kraft family and the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation.

“It is such a thrill for these 25 boys to be given this VIP experience,” said Christine McSherry, executive director of The Jett Foundation. “This will certainly be the highlight of their summer and we are really thankful to the Patriots organization for hosting us and providing this opportunity.”

Hailing from Southern New Hampshire to Cape Cod, these young football fans watched Tuesday’s practice from the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation’s VIP tent where they ate lunch and received gift bags from the New England Patriots.

Following practice, Belichick welcomed the 21 boys and young men from The Jett Foundation, thanking each of them for their support, posing for photos and autographing their gear. Following the lead of their head coach, many Patriots players joined the line to meet these special guests.

“I really liked the player signings,” said Max, 18, of Beverly. “That was my favorite part of the day. It was fun seeing the players.”

McSherry agreed, noting the excitement she saw in the 25 boys and young men as they interacted with the players was the “highlight of the day.”

“The players took the time with the kids,” McSherry said. “They talked to the kids and interacted with the kids and the kids were just blown away. They never had athletes connect with them in that way before.”

McSherry, a resident of Pembroke, started The Jett Foundation in 2001 after her son, Jett, was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy when he was just five years old.

“I quickly learned that Duchenne was a lethal type of dystrophy,” McSherry said. “Even though he looked like a healthy young boy it was like a hidden secret.”

Jett McSherry, who will be 18 in October, was in attendance with his friends and family Tuesday and enjoyed interacting with the players after practice. He also posed for photos with Brady and quarterback Tim Tebow. 

For Christine McSherry - and other parents whose sons live with Duchenne - it is events like Tuesday’s visit to training camp that help them cope with their child’s disease.

“Families don’t often have opportunities like this to meet other families and to get out with their sons and do something special,” Christine McSherry said. “Parents, families and boys were talking to each other and having fun during this event. It’s just great that families have an opportunity to meet each other.”

And for 21 boys and young men it was great to have the unique opportunity to meet their favorite Patriots players.

“I don’t think anyone is more deserving of a trip like this than a young man who has a life span of 19 years,” McSherry said. “To get that close to Patriots players is amazing and they loved it.”

ABOUT THE JETT FOUNDATION

The Jett Foundation was founded by the McSherry family soon after their son, Jett, was diagnosed with Duchenne in 2001 at the age of five. The foundation continues to fill the unmet needs of the Duchenne community through research, collaboration, adaptive services, clinic support, advocacy and much more. Recently, the Jett Foundation co-founded the Duchenne Alliance, which is an unprecedented collaboration of independent Duchenne organizations who are dedicated to expediting funding for research through the Duchenne Dashboard. For more information, visit The Jett Foundation’s website at http://jettfoundation.org/