Jason Maldonado of central Texas could not contain his excitement when his biggest southern wish granted before his very eyes! Jason, who celebrated his 16th birthday, suffers from hydrocephalus, a condition is which a large amount of fluids builds up in the brain and ultimately causes swelling. In addition to suffering from this condition, Jason also has autism and attention deficit disorder.
Despite Jason’s disabilities, this promising 16-year-old shares one of many traits with kids his age: his love for music! However, Jason prefers to listen to the honky tonk blues of one artist in particular: Blake Shelton! Jason’s mother, Christina, had attended a Blake Shelton concert in the past, buying Jason a souvenir hat and, upon receiving it, a superfan was born! Christina told KWTX, “[Jason] wears that hat every day!”
When asked which of Shelton’s songs were his favorite, Jason confidently named Shelton’s hit songs “God Gave Me You”, “Came Here To Forget”, and “She’s Got A Way With Words”. While this diehard fan was busy getting lost in Shelton’s music, his mother did her best to snag the country music star’s attention via social media in hopes of giving Jason the concert experience of a lifetime. With no results, her efforts continued as Christina discovered Hydro Angels Over America, a charity supporting individuals ranging from infancy to adolescents suffering from hydrocephalus and offering life-changing opportunities for families experiencing the devastating effects of this condition. Christina was put in contact with Sheri Burdine, the founder of the admirable charity who was also given this rare diagnosis of hydrocephalus at the age of 10. Burdine put her magic to work and, within a matter of time and strong will, Jason’s dream of seeing Shelton perform came true.
Additionally, Jason was able to attend a small, acoustic performance before the big show, and later meet the man that he holds so dear to his heart.
“[Burdine] played a major role in getting that done for us,” mother Christina said with tearing eyes.
When asked how it was to meet the super star, Jaon beamed, “He was nice! He’s 40-years-old!”
While that may have been an ordinary meet and greet for the singer himself, the moment is one that Jason continues to relive daily through the recorded encounter, as well as the big ol’ hug that Shelton gave the grinning boy.