Panthers Fly Teen Who Waited Months For heart transplant To Sideline At Lambeau Field
November 10, 2025 — by Transplant News
USA: Bryson Shope, now 14, has lived with a congenital heart condition since childhood and spent more than eight months at Levine children’s Hospital awaiting a heart transplant. During that prolonged stay he forged an unexpected bond with former Panthers player and broadcaster Greg Olson, who was at the hospital with his son TJ, who was also awaiting a new heart. That early connection between patient, family and team set the stage for an extraordinary reunion years later.
Eight years after those hospital days, the Carolina Panthers arranged a surprise for Bryson and his family: an invitation to travel to Green Bay and be on the sideline at Lambeau Field for a game against the Packers. The trip included Bryson’s first airplane experience and a full weekend of team attention, a carefully planned gesture that reunited him with Olson and put the Panthers’ support at the center of the story. The organization positioned the outing as a continuation of long-term encouragement that began during Bryson’s transplant wait.
A short video of Bryson greeting Olson on the Lambeau sideline quickly circulated online, capturing the emotional reunion without any staged commentary. The boy’s exuberant cheering and loud support from the stands and sidelines became a vivid image of recovery and resilience, with family members describing nonstop smiles throughout the weekend. The visit emphasized personal connection: a childhood patient who spent months awaiting a transplant sharing a public moment with a former player who had been present during a pivotal time.
Throughout the visit, the Panthers’ long-term relationship with Bryson was framed as steady encouragement rather than a single public stunt. Team members, hospital staff and family remain central figures in his story, and Bryson continues to carry the team’s motto of perseverance with him as he moves forward. The episode highlights the ongoing ties that can form between transplant patients, medical centers and sports organizations over years of care and support.
