Banana Ball fans packed a Hartford Dunkin’ Saturday morning as players from the Party Animals and Indianapolis Clowns kicked off the final day of their Connecticut stop with a public meet-and-greet.

A Special Surprise for a Local Teen

For one fan, however, the morning became even more memorable. 14-year-old Daniela Ciriello was surprised with four tickets to Saturday night’s Party Animals and Indianapolis Clowns game, courtesy of Connecticut Children’s, where she is a patient.

Ciriello lives with beta thalassemia, a rare genetic blood disorder that has required blood transfusions every three weeks since she was 14 months old. She has also turned her experience into advocacy through Daniela’s Dream for a Cure, a nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness of beta thalassemia and supporting efforts to find a cure.

“I did not expect this at all,” Ciriello said after players surprised her and her family with the tickets. “It’s really great because I like being like, I usually can’t be a kid all the time with all I have to go through. So having like a nice fun day, meeting the players on your way to the game is really fun. It lets me be free and have a great day.”

Party Animals player Bryson Bloomer said moments like that are what make community appearances special. “Fulfilling, you know?” Bloomer said. “It’s not every night we get to go out there and get to have fun for ourselves. But anytime we can spread that joy, that love for our fans, it’s beautiful.”

Original reporting: NBC Connecticut (Hartford) — read the source article.