A Trilby boy with cerebral palsy got a much-needed gift, along with a visit from one of his heroes.
Gary Patterson, 9, received a brand-new motorized wheelchair at Centennial Elementary School on Tuesday. It's an upgrade from his manual one, which is beat-up from use.
Gary said the new one will give him some freedom.
"Control myself and do what I want to do," he said.
The Darrell Gwynn Foundation donated the $32,000 custom wheelchair that allows Gary to be in control. The wheelchair was decorated with some of his favorite things, including World Wrestling Entertainment superstar John Cena.
But little did Gary know, a surprise was waiting for him in his school's cafeteria. Gary thought he was just going to thank those who gave him his wheelchair, but instead, he was greeted by Cena himself.
Gary's teacher, Jillian Kornick, played a huge role in getting Cena to show up. She said all of the hard work was worth it when she saw the surprise on Gary's face.
"It means everything to him," she said. "He's worked so hard to practice at this chair. It's very difficult to drive, and he's done everything, and that was the one thing he asked, if I could get him, was John Cena."
Cena is no stranger to giving back. He said that when he found out about Gary's story, he wanted to meet him.
"Moments like these are special," he said. "I try and do as much charity work as I can, and unfortunately I can't be everywhere, but this came about through a good friend of mine and I knew it would be a fantastic day. Like you said, when you see the look on Gary's face, it makes it all worthwhile."
Those who know Gary said he's a champion for not giving up, despite what he's going through.
"He's going to continue to be happy," Kornick said. "And this is the best day of his life."
The donation is one of six wheelchairs donated by the foundation as part of Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Week in Florida.