HOLBROOK, MASS. (WHDH) - It was a touching touchdown for a young boy in Holbrook.
Members of the local flag football team came together to make him feel like part of the team.
“It was amazing on so many different levels. He’s always there every week, cheering them on. So he really got to be part of the team last night. It was amazing,” Joey’s mother, Jaime said.
It was a big night for 9-year-old Joey Acker in Holbrook. During the championship flag football game, Joey, pushed by big sister Jayme, made a run for the end zone. He dodged tacklers and crossed the goal line.
“It was actually very exciting, and I was still kind of nervous about pushing him down the field,” Jayme Acker said.
Joey is living with Down syndrome. He communicates with a tablet and says the touchdown made him feel … “Happy.”
“He was laughing the whole way down,” Jayme said. “He didn’t drop the ball at all.”
Joey got the game ball and medal. His favorite part? The high-fives after.
“He got all kinds of high-fives,” Jayme said. “So many came after, and when he was in the stands, he got a whole line of applause and everyone was cheering him on. He was so excited.”
This all happened on Veteran’s Day. It turns out, Joey’s mother is a combat veteran who served two tours in Iraq and is active duty today.
“My family has had to make sacrifices for me to be able to do my job, so it was incredible to see the community recognize and include Joey on such a day,” Jaime said. “It was amazing.”
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