Adam Thielen and Make-A-Wish grant young Vikings fan’s dream
By Adam Carlson
The Make-A-Wish Foundation and Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen got together to make a young football fan’s dream come true.
It’s hard not to love Adam Thielen. The Minnesota Vikings wide receiver has worked hard for his starting spot on the team’s roster, working his way up from being an undrafted free agent to being a 1000-yard receiver last season.
Thielen has accumulated quite a fan based over the years, with many who support the team sporting a #19 jersey at this year’s training camp. But there is one fan out there who got some special attention recently.
According to the official website of the Minnesota Vikings, Thielen teamed up with the Make-A-Wish Foundation to help the dreams of a young man who lives with Long QT syndrome, a genetic heart-rhythm disorder.
On August 3, 2018, Jaren Berg attended a walk-through for the Minnesota Vikings at training camp in Eagan, Minnesota. Following the walk-through, Thielen came up to Jaren, shook his hand, and gave him a signed game-day football.
But Thielen wasn’t done there. He removed his signature yellow gloves and signed them, giving those to Jaren as well. However, Thielen still had one more surprise…and he presented Berg with tickets to watch the Vikings take on the New Orleans Saints at U.S. Bank Stadium this season.
The Vikings shared a photo of the meeting on their official Twitter account:
https://twitter.com/Vikings/status/1029406067636293634
Other Minnesota players got into the act as well. Brian Robison, Danielle Hunter, Kirk Cousins, Trevor Siemian, Kyle Sloter, Peter Pujals, Dalvin Cook, and others all met Jaren and gave him an autograph during his walk-through visit.
Jaren Berg was nominated for the Make-A-Wish program during his stay at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, where he spent 12 days being analyzed by Long QT specialist Dr. Ackerman. His mother Michelle credited the team for keeping Jaren’s spirits high during his stay.
"“The Vikings kind of were what pulled him through his hospital stay,” Michelle said. “He had a [Vikings] blanket and hats, and he watched them on Thanksgiving when he was in the hospital."
Berg wasn’t the only one who was touched by the gesture from the Vikings. Thielen enjoyed seeing the response from Jaren when he got the tickets and met this sports hero.
"“It’s pretty special,” Thielen told Vikings.com. “And then to see his emotions come out when he received the tickets, that’s pretty cool. We want to make an impact on other people’s lives, and when you see emotions like that come out, it’s pretty cool.”"
dark. Next. Way too early Vikings 2018 record prediction
This was an amazing gesture not only by Adam Thielen but by the Minnesota Vikings as well. By taking a moment out of their day to grant a wish by Jaren Berg shows a lot of the heart this team has for the community as well as pride in the organization.
Enjoy the game, Jaren! Hopefully, this experience added some brightness to your life!