Mateo, 17 years old, VA | 4 DAYS WAITING | NEEDED BY 11/06

Wish submitted by:

Mateo laces up his cleats like it’s the most important ritual of his day, and on the soccer field, he moves with a calm, confident grace that disappears the moment he steps off it. Soccer is the one place where he’s never the new kid, where the rules are the same in every town, and where a good pass speaks louder than anything he’s ever been able to say out loud. He has been in foster care since he was 11, moving through six placements and three high schools, which means he’s had to prove himself to a new set of coaches and teammates over and over again. Through it all, he’s kept showing up early, practicing alone, and quietly hoping for one full season with the same team. He’s also nearing the end of his time in care, with graduation on the horizon and a future he’s trying to build largely on his own. Mateo rarely talks about what he’s carried, but his teammates know he’d give his last pair of cleats to anyone who needed them. He deserves a community that shows up for him the way he’s always shown up for everyone else.

A bike opens up a whole new world of independence for Mateo, and a helmet helps him enjoy it safely. As he heads to practice, school, and eventually work on his own, he’ll navigate busy streets without a parent or guardian looking out for him, and proper protection is one small way someone can look out for him from afar. It’s not a flashy gift, but for a young man who's spent years looking after himself, it’s a quiet message that his safety and future matter. This helmet would give Mateo peace of mind on every ride and remind him that someone cares about his well-being, today and down the road.