Football players at Ohio middle school help team's manager with spina bifida score touchdown

Friday, October 11, 2019
8th grade football players in Ohio help team's manager with spina bifida score touchdown
8th grade football players in Ohio help team's manager with spina bifida score touchdownEighth-grade football players in Ohio worked to make their team manager feel extra special during a game Wednesday night.

MIAMISBURG, Ohio -- Eighth-grade football players in Ohio worked to make their team manager feel extra special during a game Wednesday night.

Paul Townsend was born with spina bifida, a congenital defect that occurs when the spine or spinal cord doesn't form properly.

His family was told he had a 2% chance to live to the age of 1. Townsend is now 15.

He loves sports and serves as the manager for an eighth-grade football team in Miamisburg. After all of his hard work, the team wanted to find a special way to thank Townsend, WKEF-TV reported.

They helped him score a touchdown during Wednesday night's game.

The team's coach said the touchdown took two years to plan.

"It's exciting, it really is, and I love the fact that the team has made him a part of it," said Helena Baker, Townsend's mom. "Even though he can't run and walk the way they do, he uses wheels so he does really well for his type."