I Wish to Meet... Kevin Garnett

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At 5' 2", wish recipient Chelsey might not look like she'd take you on the basketball court but, looks can be deceiving.

Short in stature but not in her fighting spirit, in a matter of weeks, Chelsey went from an active high schooler – who loved playing basketball and volleyball – to a debilitated teen that inexplicably became paralyzed, went partially blind and had a collapsed lung.

After being misdiagnosed on several occasions, a MRI finally revealed the culprit: she had Muscular Sclerosis (MS) with life threatening complications.

This spunky teen refused to let MS beat her and was determined to regain control of her life. Her source of inspiration: the best forward, in her opinion, in the NBA, Boston Celtics' Kevin Garnett. In a letter she wrote explaining why she wanted to meet him she stated, "Watching you and your team made me miss playing so much. When I had physical therapy, I would try even harder so I could get better faster so I could go home and play."

After relearning how to walk, Chelsey was finally up for travel (both on and off the court) and hopped a plane to meet her idol.

The meet and greet was amazing and as she said, "It was better than high school graduation, my wedding day or any other milestone. It made my lifetime." Chelsey presented this larger than life basketball star with a t-shirt from her high school that all of her friends had signed. She also had a chance to pose for some pictures, ask a few questions and meet some of the other players and coach Rivers who, in her humble opinion, "is the best coach ever."

Special thanks: Make-A-Wish Foundation of Massachusetts and the Boston Celtics

Volunteers: Lou Cutler and Cheryl Logan

Photos courtesy of Michael Blanchard Photography

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