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SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah Jazz fan got some special treatment during last Friday’s game thanks to someone who wanted to brighten his day.
Tyler Padilla has a form of muscular dystrophy and is in a wheelchair, which makes it hard for him to get out of the house, let alone attend crowded events.
But nothing could stop him from going to see the Jazz take on the LA Clippers in game 6 of their most recent playoff series.
His mother, Holly Cahoon, said watching his team in the NBA playoffs was something the life-long fan wanted to witness in person.
“He’s so passionate about it, maybe because it’s something he hasn’t physically ever been able to do,” Cahoon said.
Thanks Justin Nielsen, CEO of Onset Financial and Cahoon's boss, Tyler cheered on his favorite players while seated courtside.
"(Nielsen) heard that (Tyler) loves the Jazz, and they were playing that night and he pulled strings and got us two floor seats,” Cahoon said.
The two were also given VIP treatment, meeting the Jazz cheerleaders and getting Jazz swag. A signed poster of Gordon Hayward is now proudly hanging in Tyler’s room.
Cahoon said the gifts for her son could not have come at a better time. On Friday, the family found out Tyler would not be able to get a life-saving surgery.
"They are just too scared to do the surgery and put him out," Cahoon said.
At 20-years-old, Tyler weighs a whopping 68 pounds. His condition is keeping him from gaining weight. In fact, he is losing nearly six pounds a month.
The surgery would have given Tyler a chance to hook up to a feeding tube. Without it, Cahoon said Tyler has a couple weeks to a month to live.
On Monday, after going in to thank her boss, the family received another surprise: an all-expense paid trip to Disneyland.
“There are truly nice people out there that care (about) something that means so much to (Tyler), that can help him and make his whole family happy," Cahoon said.
The Cahoons will be leaving for California next week — the same night the Jazz are scheduled to play against the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Semi-Finals. Like a true Jazz fan, Tyler said he would be watching from his hotel room.
