CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It’s been two months since the Make-a-Wish foundation granted a local girl’s wish to meet Charlotte native and Golden State Warrior star, Steph Curry.
Channel 9 got a chance to sit down with Ashley Wagner, 14, and speak to her about the effect the meeting with Curry had on her.
Ashley Wagner thought she was being filmed for a story on her cancer treatment when she received a surprising message.
The 14-year-old was sitting outside her Sherrills Ford home when Steph Curry appeared in a video message on her iPad.
Curry, a Charlotte-native, promised a trip of a lifetime courtesy of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
"I didn't think it would actually happen," Wagner said. "I was really surprised."
It hasn't been easy for Ashley. She was diagnosed with leukemia and went through months of chemotherapy.
But now she's in remission, and when it came time for her to choose a Make-A-Wish destination, she had someone other than herself in mind: her twin brother, Grant Wagner.
"It was overwhelming at the time," Grant said.
Together the family flew to the Bay Area, where it hung out with the Curry family.
"The NBA is such a big person league, and Steph is so tiny compared to everyone else," Grant said. "Then I got to meet him and was like, ‘You’re not small.’”
He doesn't have a small heart, either. Together, they played mini-golf and rode in go-karts. Later Grant and Ashley attended Warriors practice and sat courtside at a game.
“He's very genuine and nice," Ashley said. "You hear all of these good things about him, and all of that is true."
Tonight the Warriors go for back-to-back championships, and there's no question the Wagners will be pulling for them.
"I think they'll win. The best player in the world will probably drop 40," Grant said.
Bright spirits for a family who has been through so much. An act of selflessness that shows Curry isn't the only champion.
ESPC helped arrange the meeting, and Wagner’s story also aired on SportsCenter.
Curry will be back Thursday night on WSOC-TV/ABC to try and win back-to-back NBA championships.
Curry and the Warriors lead the NBA Finals series three to two against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Game 6 starts at 9 p.m. on Channel 9. Stay tuned after the finals for Eyewitness News.
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