Md. teen born with life-threatening conditions gets wish to meet Wizards players

The Washington Wizards hosted the Miami Heat Friday night, but it was no ordinary regular season game for one very special fan.

Thirteen-year-old Elijah Taylor was born with two life-threatening conditions. He has spina bifida, a birth defect where the bones of the spine don't form properly around the spinal cord, and hydrocephalus, a condition where there is an abnormal amount of fluid around the brain.

The Wizards and the Kids Wish Network made the Beltsville, Md., youngster's wish come true as he got to meet his favorite athletes.

Elijah received the full VIP treatment as he was greeted by a hug from G-Wiz, the team's mascot. He came styled right for the occasion with some Paul Pierce-esque glasses.

The teenager was in the tunnel for player introductions and even received an autographed jersey from his favorite Wizards player, Bradley Beal.

Now that he has a jersey, Elijah says he is ready to get out there and hit some buckets.

"I can really shoot some baskets if you like it," he said. "If you want me to, I can try it."

"Every day he is cheery unless he's sick, but he still wants to go to school," said Simeaka Taylor, Elijah's mother. "He's a very outgoing person. I say he's not a social butterfly. He's a social bumblebee."

She also said about her son, "If you get mad at him, he will hug you. He will tell you he loves you. He's very helpful, so he's got a lot of give."

Elijah is a gregarious kid. His mother said on their way to the arena, they were stopped by Secret Service and asked to search the car. Elijah just kept saying hello until the Secret Service agent let his guard down and said hello back to Elijah and waived them on through.