By admin 
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — A 12-year-old boy will take his first flight and watch his first World Cup match next week, thanks to Make-A-Wish Arizona.
Read more Falling flaming tree causes Table Mountain Fire to reignite in Catalinas
Andres Lopez Pacheco will fly to MetLife Stadium in New Jersey to watch Panama and England battle on the pitch.
Andres has battled a complex congenital heart condition and has undergone four open-heart surgeries. While he cannot play soccer competitively, he said the sport helps him stay strong and inspired.
“Just don’t give up,” Andres said. “When it’s hard I just try to find a way to help me feel better.”
The wish was granted during a celebration in Scottsdale, where Andres’ dream became the organization’s 9,000th granted wish. During the celebration, Andres received World Cup-themed gifts and custom jerseys from Make-A-Wish and Phoenix Rising FC.
His mother, Elizabeth, said the family never thought this moment would be possible.
Read more Las Vegas valley Pearl Harbor survivor recalls attack as 8-year-old boy
“This is a dream because at the beginning we thought he’s not gonna make it, he was so fragile, we got to a point where we said he’s not gonna make it,” she said. “Now, to see him pushing everyday and doing things we thought he was never gonna be able to do, it’s just a plus.”
Andres said his favorite teams are Portugal and Mexico, but he predicted England will win next week’s match.
See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.
Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.
Read more Maricopa County deploys AI cameras to detect wildfires early