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October 15, 2024
Pond Lehocky Giordano Makes an Eagles Fan’s Dream Come True
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Braelyn Terry has been asking his parents if they would take him to an Eagles game since he was five years old. Jeffrey and Jami had no idea where their son’s love for the Philadelphia team came from – the kid had been raised in Muscle Shoals, Alabama and was also a fan of the Crimson Tide. As much as they would have loved to fulfill his dream, tickets for both an NFL game and an airline were far too costly. Knowing just how much Braelyn wanted to go, they still gave him hope: “Maybe someday, son.”
Braelyn’s fanaticism for the Eagles would only intensify over the years. By the age of 13, he’d seen Alabama Crimson Tide players DeVonta Smith, Landon Dickerson, and Jalen Hurts all get selected by the Eagles. Braelyn has worn Hurts’ jersey and his dad Jeffrey has worn Smith’s ever since the former Crimson Tide stars joined the Eagles.
A fateful trip to the Superdome
On Sunday, September 22, Braelyn and his dad Jeff donned their jerseys and climbed into the family Silverado – the truck Braelyn wants to drive when he turns 16. The young football fan’s dream was coming true. The Philadelphia Eagles were facing down the New Orleans Saints in the Superdome.
The dream wasn’t meant to be – at least, not on that day. A few hours into their long-awaited trip, a front tire hit a rough patch and blew.
“The truck slid into the median, then skidded into the northbound lane of I-459 and landed in another ditch. Thank heavens we were wearing our seatbelts,” said Jeff.
Fortunately, Jeff would only suffer bruises to his arms, knees, and forehead. Braelyn came out of the wreckage with a black eye, a broken nose, and a cut lip. The truck – and the trip that Braelyn had looked forward to for eight years – could not be salvaged. Jami rushed to the Grandview Medical Center, where they had taken her husband and son for treatment after the accident.
The family drove back to Muscle Shoals together to watch the game on TV. Jami and Jeffrey were heartbroken – their son had waited so long for this trip. At one point during the game, though, Braelyn turned to his mom.
“It’s okay if we missed the Eagles game,” he said. “You still have your husband and your son, and that’s what matters the most.” Jami broke down and cried. In that moment, their family had everything they truly needed.
Good News: Pond Lehocky Giordano with the Hail Mary
Rick Karle – a 25-time Emmy winner and a 43-year veteran of broadcast news – posts a weekly “Good News” story on Facebook. His post about Braelyn’s thwarted dream to see the Eagles and the loss of the family truck went viral on Facebook. That’s where Lauryn Genthert, workers’ compensation case status manager at Pond Lehocky Giordano, first found the story. After she forwarded the post to Tom Giordano, founding partner, and Shawn Lehocky, CEO, they instantly knew that we had to help Braelyn Terry’s dream come true.
Shawn reached out to Rick Karle while social media manager Amy Kodrich reached out to the Terry family. We offered to provide them with the whole package – including complimentary hotel accommodations, plane tickets, and even a driver. As an official sponsor of the Philadelphia Eagles, our firm was able to hook them up with club level seats and on-field passes for the game, as well – our treat.
Jeff quickly responded to Amy’s message. “You would make a young man’s dream with this,” he wrote.
A trip 8 years in the making
Braelyn and his dad Jeff graciously accepted our offer. On Sunday, October 13th – incidentally, Jeff’s 40th birthday – they stood on the sidelines at Lincoln Financial Field, watching the Eagles prepare for their game against the Cleveland Browns. Later, Jeffrey would share his experience with Rick Karle:
“We had an awesome time,” said Jeff. “We watched warm-ups from the sidelines and then had a Philly cheesesteak. Our seats were right below the private boxes on the 50 yard line.”
Father and son wore their DeVonta Smith and Jalen Hurts jerseys as they cheered the Eagles on. In the 4th quarter, Jalen hit DeVonta with a go-ahead 45 yard touchdown play. The Eagles beat the Browns 20-16.
Jeff messaged us once they returned home from the game.
“Everything went great. The game! So much could be said but for short it was amazing!!! An experience he and I both will remember forever, no doubt. A great father-son memory!” wrote Jeff.
The staff at Pond Lehocky Giordano was overjoyed to have had this opportunity to make a young Eagles fan’s dream come true. We wish the Terry family all the best and hope to see you back at Lincoln Financial Field some day!
