Alex Ruiz found himself on the receiving end of a life-changing gift from an NFL superstar.
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees offered the teenager a prosthetic leg this past weekend at a flag football game in Del Mar, California, KGTV in San Diego reported.
"Surprise," Brees said to a smiling Ruiz in a video capturing the occasion. "We would like to present to you with your walking prosthetic leg. But not just this, but we are committing to you that in the fall once you get the hang of this and you're ready to start running, competing and training again, we're going to get you your athletic training prosthetic, as well."
According to the report, Ruiz suffered a severe right leg injury while playing quarterback at Linfield Christian High School in October 2017, resulting in the amputation of his leg below the knee.
The gift from Brees brought pure joy to Ruiz.
"If there's anything above cloud nine, that's where I'm at right now," a beaming Ruiz told KGTV.
The two quarterbacks even shared another special moment during the event by playing catch, with Brees playing the role of wide receiver. Standing on his left leg, Ruiz threw a strike to Brees, who caught the pass while running a pattern up the middle of the field to the delight of the crowd.
Brees hopes the gift of the prosthetic leg will allow Ruiz to return to a game the teen enjoys.
"It's going to allow him to walk around, get around, and then eventually get to the point where he's able to play football again," Brees told KGTV. "Because ask him right now and there's no denying the look in his eye that that's what he wants to do."
