Soccer fanatic with Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome excited after band stops to sing him birthday song

Soccer fanatic with Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome excited after band stops to sing him birthday song

  • Isaac Jacobs will have memories of his 18th birthday etched in his mind forever
  • This is after a band headed for a football match stopped by to sing a birthday song to the young man who suffers from Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome
  • The gesture was even made better by the fact that his story went viral, which has seen well-wishers contribute over GHC 114K for him

Isaac Jacobs was born with a rare genetic disorder called Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome (LNS) which rendered him unable to walk at the age of four.

Isaac suffers from Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome, which rendered him physically impaired at age four.
Isaac Jacobs enjoys the moment of glory as the band serenades him on his birthday. Screengrab from CBS News.
Source: UGC

As Isaac accepted that his life was confined to a wheelchair, he found himself gravitating to other things that could put a smile on his face, and the biggest of them all happens to be soccer.

He recently turned 18, and his family decided to take him to the stadium to watch a match pitting Austin FC against Portland Timbers.

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It happened that as Isaac sat on his wheelchair waiting for his chance to be wheeled into the stands, a band heading in to cheer their team passed in front of him.

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Band sings for Isaac

In a video that has gone viral, Isaac is heard shouting "It's my birthday!" which prompted the band members to gather and make an impromptu decision to play a birthday tune for him.

According to Isaac's mom Bene, the birthday surprise meant much more to the family than their favourite team Austin FC beating Portland Timbers 3-1 the same day, CBS reports.

Good tidings

Bene hopes that the beautiful gesture captured on video not only spreads joy but also casts awareness on the rare condition.

And she has every right to be hopeful as a GoFundMe has already been created to raise funds for the soccer fanatic.

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As of the time of going to press, the account had collected $19,279 (KSh 2.1 million), according to MLS Soccer.

Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome

Lesch-Nyhan syndrome is an inherited X-linked recessive genetic disorder that causes kidney malfunction, arthritis, and self-mutilating behaviours like hitting one's head on the wall.

Other symptoms include involuntary muscle motions and neurological disorders.

Source: YEN.com.gh

Authors:
Lukman Mumuni avatar

Lukman Mumuni (Sports Editor) Lukman Abdul Mumin is a CAF-accredited Sports Journalist based in Accra, Ghana. He has been writing for the past eight years. Lukman has worked with some of Ghana's big media houses like GMA and was a regular pundit on GTV. He started his journalism career as a presenter and a writer after studying at the Gee Way Media School. Lukman has covered several international competitions including AFCON 2023. Email: lukmanevergreen2g15@gmail.com

Aba Afful avatar

Aba Afful (Copyeditor) Maame Aba serves as a copy editor at YEN.com.gh. She naturally enjoys working with words and has an eye for quality content. She has a keen interest in cyberspace and wants to see YEN.com.gh produce more impactful, thought-provoking, and error-free content. Aba has five years of experience as a content writer, blogger, author, and proofreader. She graduated from the Ghana Institute of Journalism in 2017. She joined the team in 2021.