I've been working on my smile. Can you tell?
Tuesday March 2 was a big night for Josh. This was his first live Lakers game at Staples Center. If you’ve followed his story, you may recall his first word after having a stroke was “Lakers” which describe how important this team is to him. The night before the game he could hardly sleep. He said he tossed and turned thinking about the game and what he could expect. At school he was dressed in his official Lakers jersey and spread the news to all who would hear that he was going to watch the Lakers that evening. The ride to Staples Center was quiet but you could see how fidgety he was with anticipation. Tapping his foot on the floorboard and rocking back and forth in the seat with a constant smile on his face. He said more than once “I can’t
wait. Are we almost there?” As we arrived, his eyes got bigger and bigger at the sight of the arena. We got there early with time to roam around Nokia plaza and experience the lights and glitter of the quad. It was like a child’s first visit to Disneyland. I stood back and watch Josh take in the experience. Josh’s level of recovery was evident in his ability to process all the activity that surrounded the busy entertainment environment. He took it all in without missing a beat. We took pictures and yelped and howled as we waited to enter the building. At six o’clock they opened the doors and began letting the crowd inside. “This is it!” he said. It was time. We gave our tickets at the door and Josh asked if we’re officially in. The ticket taker responded with “yes you are” and Josh let out a loud YES just within the doors. He had arrived at the famed arena where his beloved team plays the game he’s so passionate about. He said “I can hardly breathe I’m so excited.” I could see him panting as we passed through the curtain and got a view of the court for the first time. He just stood and starred. This alone was a big moment for him.
We enjoyed the game as we always do, loud and proud to be Lakers fans. Josh had no problem getting in and out of his seat to yell for his team throughout the entire game. I can say that I’ve never seen him so thrilled and wide-eyed since his injury last June. During the game, we had the pleasure of meeting and enjoying the event with our new friends from Verizon, who were responsible for giving Josh the opportunity to be there. Shyra Arrington and her daughters Shanera and Soriah offered Josh the tickets after reading his story in the newspaper a week ago. Shanera and Soriah are schoolmates with Josh and were so inspired by his story they wanted to give Josh this gift. While at the game, our friends from Verizon gave Josh a Lakers hat and shirt and lots of love for the inspiration he gave them.
Josh and his family would like to thank Shyra, Shanera, and Soriah and our fan mates from Verizon for an amazing evening with the Lakers. Also, we would like to thank the Los Angeles Lakers for a resounding 122-99 win over the Indiana Pacers during Josh’s first of many pro basketball games.
