ENSCHEDE-A story that heats hearts throughout the Netherlands: a 7-year-old boy, who fights against a malignant brain tumor, recently expressed his last wish via the Make-A-Wish program. His dream? Speak once with his big hero, orange strikerWout Weghorst.
The request reached the striker within a few days. Instead of simply taking the phone, Weghorst decided to tackle things completely differently. Without anyone in the hospital, he got into the car himself and drove for hours to meet the boy personally.
According to a nurse, the boy was taken to a small meeting room “for a special surprise”. When the door opened and Wout Weghorst stood there, in a training suit, with a big smile and a signed Dutch team shirt in his hands, the boy could not believe his eyes. “He literally jumped in Wout’s arms. There was no second of doubt – it was pure joy,” said the nurse.
But it didn’t stop at that magical moment. Weghorst stayed with him for hours. Together they looked at highlights of Orange, played a game of Fifa on the PlayStation and even gently kicked a ball back and forth in the hospital garden, where Wout carefully took into account the physical condition of the boy.
At the end of the visit, Weghorst handed an envelope. Inside was a handwritten letter and a promise: as soon as it is medically justified, the boy and his family can come to an international match of Orange, with full VIP treatment. Everything – from transport to stay – is personally arranged and paid for by Weghorst.
“This goes much further than fulfilling a wish,” said the boy’s mother, visibly emotional. “He not only gave our son a beautiful day, but also hope and something to look forward to.”
The hospital staff praised the sincerity of the striker. “There were no cameras, no sponsor logos, not a press. He did this out of his heart. You don’t see that every day,” said a doctor.
The boy himself later told that it was the most beautiful day of his life. “He is even bigger than on TV … and he scores even better in real life!” He said with a broad smile.
When images of the visit later appeared on social media through friends and family, thousands of reactions flooded the internet. Fans called Weghorst “a real hero” and “someone who understands that football is about more than just winning”.
With his unexpected visit, Wout Weghorst proved that real greatness cannot be found alone on the field. Sometimes it is in a ride of a few hours, a signed shirt, a few lax moments – and a promise that gives a child the power to fight through.
