Two Casper teenagers injured in a flash fire earlier this month got the opportunity to meet the Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson, and his wife, singer Ciara, on Tuesday.
Kayden Pharr and Jayce Berry, two of the teens injured in the March 4 fire in a shop west of Casper, met Wilson and Ciara when the two made a surprise visit to Children’s Hospital Colorado on Tuesday morning.
Jayce’s mother, Angela Berry, posted about the experience on her Facebook account.
“Jayce had a very busy day!” she posted. “They woke him up at 9 a.m. after a restless night managing pain to tell him a special guest was going to be visiting at 9:30 a.m. He managed to get himself together and with the help of a little pain medicine we headed down to see what ended up being Russell Wilson and his wife Ciara!”
Berry said that Wilson and Ciara read their new book “Why Not You” to the children at the hospital, answered questions, signed autographs and took photos with everyone.
In the book, the Grammy-winning singer and Super Bowl champion quarterback encourage young readers to pursue their dreams.
Wilson was recently named the Broncos’ newest quarterback after being traded to Denver by the Seattle Seahawks, his team of 10 years. Ciara sported Broncos regalia at the hospital visit on Tuesday.
Berry said being joined by Pharr and his family while meeting the famous couple made the experience even more special.
Jayce will have to undergo skin grafts this week, but his mother said the boy is recovering from his injuries.
“He had been having troubling walking prior to his last debridement yesterday, but he made it a point to straighten his right leg while he was still recovering from his procedure,” Berry wrote. “This really helped him! prior to that he was walking bent over like an 80 year old bowlegged retired bull rider!”
Another girl burned in the fire was flown to a hospital in Salt Lake City.
The Natrona County Fire Department said the flash fire occurred due to a flammable liquid being too close to an open flame inside a shop on Lakeview Lane near Zero Road.