Sports

After receiving two Super Bowl tickets from the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Make-A-Wish Foundation in December, one local teen left for Las Vegas Wednesday morning. Aiden Hanna was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in his leg in the summer of 2022. The 17-year-old said once he found out he could make a wish, without hesitation, he knew the Super Bowl was his pick.Right when I heard I could get a Make-A-Wish, I said I wanted to go to the Super Bowl. I felt like that would be really cool, Hanna said as he waited to board his flight at Pittsburgh International Airport. I’m real excited. I don’t know what to expect, feel like it’s all a mystery.The Hanna family is one of roughly 20 Make-A-Wish families who will spend their week attending events in Las Vegas, leading up to the NFL Honors ceremony and Super Bowl LVIII.”I went to the Steelers facility (in December) because my mom said we were going to go on a tour, Hanna told Pittsburghs Action News 4. Then Cam Heyward comes up and says, ‘You’re going to the Super Bowl.’ I’m like, ‘I hope so,’ and the next thing I know, T.J. Watt’s walking out behind me with two Super Bowl tickets.Hanna said when he was diagnosed with bone cancer in 2022, he felt the immediate support from family and friends and wanted to ensure everyone felt something similar to it.All my friends and family, they rushed to my side for support, he said. Then I went to the hospital, and saw other families with a lot less support and I decided I would start a charity.That charity is Aidens Helping Hands, which works to reduce the financial burden on families who also have loved ones battling cancer.Hanna said theyre preparing to hold their second annual golf outing for the organization later this year.Meanwhile, the Hampton teen is focusing on living out the dream of a lifetime this week as he will get to watch the San Francisco 49ers take on the Kansas City Chiefs.I’d just like to thank Make-A-Wish and the Steelers and the whole NFL for giving me this opportunity. It’s a big moment.