Luke Kuechly surprises fan with cerebral palsy on her birthday

Panthers LB Luke Kuechly surprised the fan on her 21st birthday

Luke Kuechly is a winner both on the field and off.

The Charlotte charity Dream on 3, an organization dedicated to granting sports wishes for sick kids, helped recruit Kuechly into making a special appearance at the 21st birthday party of a Panthers fan last Friday night. Jessica Hayes has cerebral palsy, autism, and is half-blind, but still expressed a desire to have a dream date for her birthday celebration.

Little did she know that date would turn out to be Kuechly, the All-Pro linebacker and leader of the Panther’s vaunted defense.

Dream on 3, along with WBTV anchor Molly Grantham, helped plan the event, which began with Jessica getting taken out to shop for a new outfit and then getting her hair and makeup done at a fancy Charlotte resort. She was then escorted to the presidential suite of the resort with her friends and family, and that was when Kuechly made his surprise appearance, much to the delight of all those present.

Perhaps no one was more delighted than Jessica herself, who greeted the star linebacker with a big bear hug from her wheelchair. Kuechly and Jessica then rode in a limousine together to her birthday party, where they danced, ate cake, and celebrated her 21st in style.