Drew Brees did more than give a quarterback a hand this week. He gave him a leg, one which could eventually allow him to participate in sports again.
Via Mike Triplett of ESPN.com, the Saints quarterback gave California high schooler Alex Ruiz his first walking prosthetic, and promised to pay for a new athletic training prosthesis in the fall when Ruiz is ready for it.
Ruiz lost his left leg below the knee in February because of a severe knee injury he suffered last fall playing high school football in Temecula, California. Brees made the presentation through his Football ‘N’ America project, a flag football league he started in New Orleans and expanded to the San Diego area.
It’s actually not the first gift he’s has given Ruiz, as a friend in California told him about the story last fall and Brees sent Ruiz a personalized jersey.
“It was a very emotional presentation and really exciting for everyone in our league to be a part of it,” Brees said. “Alex has suffered a long and very difficult road but has remained so positive and insists this set of circumstances will not hold him back. He still has loftier goals than ever for his athletic career and beyond. We wanted to help his dreams come true.”
Ruiz hopes to continue playing, and the prosthetic leg will give him a chance to do that.