Falcons star wears special pair of cleats designed by 12-year-old Sickle Cell patient

ATLANTA — Players across the NFL participated again this year in “My Cause My Cleats” campaign to support various causes near and dear to their hearts.

This year, an Atlanta Falcons star decided to raise awareness for Sickle cell anemia with help from a Children Healthcare of Atlanta patient.

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Grady Jarrett wore a special pair of cleats designed by 12-year-old Kian during the Falcons-Steelers game on Sunday.

Jarrett and his foundation also surprised Kian and his family with Falcons merch and a new air purifier system for his home.

“When I saw Kian’s design, I knew right away that I wanted it on my cleats. I loved his creativity and was honored to wear his artwork with pride and love for all children and adults who battle sickle cell disease,” Jarrett said. “I’m grateful to Children’s as well as my team over at Austin Air Systems for helping make this happen.”

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Several patients at Children’s Healthcare submitted artwork to be considered for Jarrett’s cleats before he selected Kian’s design.

All the patients and their families attended Sunday’s game with tickets from Jarrett’s foundation Grady Gives.

“We are honored that Grady Jarrett chose to shine a light on sickle cell disease and the patients at the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorder Center,” said Sara Orton, Director of Development, Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s. “Partnering with organizations that create one-of-a-kind experiences for our patients is what it’s all about.”

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