Tim Tebow Surprises Teen Florida Gators Fan Fighting Leukemia at Hospital
The 13-year-old Florida Gators super-fan was left speechless and in tears.
— -- Tim Tebow recently gave a teen fan with leukemia a surprise visit at a hospital in Jacksonville, Florida, and the teen's reaction was priceless.
Tebow was caught on video casually walking into 13-year-old Nathaniel Nelson's room at Wolfson Children's Hospital Tuesday night. The super-fan's room was filled with gear from the Florida Gators, the University of Florida football team for which Tebow played as a quarterback.
"What's up?" Tebow, 28, says in the video. "Can I get a hug?"
Nelson is left speechless, but he gives Tebow a hug before beginning to laugh and cry at the same time, the video shows.
"I've heard so much about you," Tebow then says in the video. "I've probably had 15 people contacting me and telling me about you and how awesome you are and how so many people are praying for you, so I said, 'I just have to go and see him.'"
Nelson then wipes his tears, still laughing, before managing to finally say, "Wow."
Footage of Nelson and Tebow's emotional meeting was viewed over 4.4 million times on the Tim Tebow Foundation's Facebook page as of this afternoon.
The two spent almost two hours together and played video games and visited other children on the floor, according to Erik Dellenback, the executive director of the Tim Tebow Foundation. He told ABC News that Tebow also signed a board in Nelson's room and gave him a signed limited edition Tim Tebow Foundation football and a signed bible.
Nelson was diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) last month, but he has maintained an "incredible, kind spirit" and hopes to recover, attend the University of Florida and become a scientist to cure cancer, Dellenback said.
The Gators fan has two giant maps in his hospital room -- one of the world and one of the United States -- marked up with the places where people are praying for Nelson, Dellenback added.