Even as rugby league endures its darkest hour with the COVID-19 shutdown, the greatest game of all can still bring a smile to the face of the people that need it the most.
The Gold Coast Titans were contacted recently by Kerriane Lowrie, who works with an organisation called Own2Feet, a disability services and care provider based on the Gold Coast.
Kerriane cares for a patient named Tokie, who is battling debilitating health issues that have left him confined to a wheelchair.
Tokie is a passionate supporter of the Titans, and loves rugby league.
Kerriane was attempting to organise a Titans Membership for Tokie, so that he could attend some games at Cbus Super Stadium this year to watch his beloved Titans play in person.
Unfortunately, the NRL shutdown because of the coronavirus put an end to those hopes.
But to help Tokie keep his spirits up, the Titans Membership team organised to a Membership pack and some Titans merchandise to be delivered, so Tokie could continue supporting his team even when there were no games to watch.
“Tokie is in a very tough place. He doesn’t actually have a diagnosis on his condition,” Kerriane explained.
“He basically went to bed one evening feeling fine, and woke up the next morning unable to walk.
“Whatever he has is just shutting down his body very slowly. Very recently he was also diagnosed with lung cancer, which is another major stress as well.
“But he just loves rugby league, and he loves the Titans.
“When I walked in there the other morning with the parcel from the Titans, he was looking at me like he knew something was up.
“I said ‘I have a present for you’, and his face just lit up. When I pulled the gear out of the bag to show him, he was just so excited. It was really quite lovely.
“You can see in the photos how much it meant to him. He is just glowing.
“He is married and has a lovely family supporting him, which makes things better for him. But this gesture from the Titans meant the world to him.”
