DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) — The Cowboys who rule the day camp for kids at AT&T stadium saw one teen rule the day thanks to a surprise that will last a lifetime.
Fourteen-year-old Lilly Biagini was gifted two new prosthetics.
Biagini said the day symbolizes freedom to her.
“I always had a dream that I could run, jump, and play with friends and family,” she said. “Today is a dream come true.”
Biagini was born with a rare condition, where she had no joints in her lower extremities.
She could’ve been confined to a wheelchair for the rest of her life, but in 2014 she and her mom Jessica made the decision to have her legs amputated above the knee.
The move represented Biagini’s best chance to have prosthetics that would allow her to do things most kids take for granted.
“To be able to get that back and be a whole person again and represent who she is… is remarkable,” her mom said.
Biagini’s extreme joy overrides all the years of extreme disappointment. Simply put, it’s not about dwelling on all the opportunities missed but rather about seizing the moment now.
“I’m gonna be who I am today, not tomorrow. I’m not gonna be who I was yesterday. Today is a new day and anything can happen,” she said.
And who knows the power of possibility better than the Dallas Cowboys? The team partnered with Smoothie King and the Challenged Athletes Foundation to create a scenario that even had Chad Hennings describing the teen as the true definition of the word “champion.”
“To put these new legs on and have a smile and not be afraid and have the courage and bravery to try something… and not worry about what other people think, but to accomplish that. I don’t know if I could do that,” Hennings said.
Rebecca Miller, Chief Marketing Officer for Smoothie King admitted it was hard not to cry when she saw Biagini get her prosthetics.
“It’s going to change her life,” Miller said. “It’s really neat to be a part of that.”
Biagini — who never gave up hope — can now use her walk of faith to inspire other young people to do the same.
“Believe in yourself,” she said. “If you can believe in yourself, other people can believe in you. That’s really all you need.”
