Oregon Ducks " Angel" Arrives
December 8, 2009 | Eugene, Oregon | Vetting explained
By Susan Harding KATU News and KATU.com Staff
A 13-year-old girl named Angel in Oklahoma City is doing the impossible: Bringing Ducks and Beavers fans together before the Civil War by coming together to bring her to the game.
Angel Wilson can’t walk or talk, and she was born with severe disabilities including brain damage. But her laughter is uniting rivals throughout the state and world.
Angel’s father, Billy Wilson, first thought his daughter’s infatuation with the Ducks’ green and yellow was just a fluke. But he said something about her changes every time she sees the Ducks play on TV.
“Whenever they’d come on (TV), Angel would brighten up, and her face would lighten up. She’d be smiling and grinning and laughing,” Wilson said. “She can’t talk, but she can laugh and giggle and chuckle.”
Wilson said he doesn’t know if it’s the team’s ever-changing uniforms, the fans, or the Disney-inspired mascot.
“It doesn’t matter what it is. It just matters that it happens,” Wilson said.
Duck fan Ryan Wolfe e-mailed friends hoping to bring Angel and her family to the Civil War by organizing a donation drive.
“It was a snowball, total snowball effect, and the response has been huge,” Wolfe said. “I can’t even count the number of e-mails and phone calls and letters I’ve gotten.”
Fans from the Ducks, Beavers, Cougars, and Vikings put aside rivalries and donated time and money to bring the girl to Oregon to watch the game in person.
“Right now our tensions are really high,” said Wilson because Angel will have major surgery in January. “We’re worried about Angel and the back surgery, and we never would have thought in a million years something like this would be possible.”
For Wolfe, Angel puts the Civil War in perspective.
“The game is a huge deal for the school,” Wolfe said. “It’s a huge deal for fans but life and little girls having great experiences are far more fun than football.”
But this Duck fan can’t resist treasuring these words from Angel’s dad: “There is a little Angel in Oklahoma watching over you!”
“I like our chances with Angel on our side,” said Wolfe.
The Ducks took care of tickets for the family and fans are donating the airfare, hotel stay and other perks such as a photographer to capture their visit to Autzen Stadium.
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