Panthers grant wish of South Carolina teen

CHARLOTTE, NC (WWAY) — The Carolina Panthers wrapped up their three day mini camp this afternoon and they had a very special guest join in.

Kyleigh Dean is the newest linebacker on the Carolina Panthers.

The wrestling star from South Carolina dreamed of playing along side her favorite player Thomas Davis, and thanks to Make-A-Wish, she got to do just that.

Ky was diagnosed with congenital generalized lipodystrophy at a young age, a rare condition that causes heart, liver and kidney damage. But she hasn’t let that slow her down.

She takes the phrase “Keep Pounding” to new heights and she continues to fight thanks to the support she gets.

“What keeps me going the most is probably that I know I have a lot of people that support me and help me through everything,” Ky said.
“Even if I’m down and not feeling good they always cheer me up and tell me that if I keep going, I’ll do great things in life.”

“We kind of laid the foundation early for Kyleigh when we got out here,” Davis said. “We talked to her about what we do on defense and talked trash to Cam all practice long. He came up and he tried to speak to her and she stuck to it. She asked him a question. ‘Why you so salty?’ I absolutely loved that. That made my day.”

Davis said seeing Ky put things into perspective for he and his teammates and is thankful to give back to those in need.