Dakotafire Get your spark here.
It’s pretty special when a trip of a lifetime comes when you’re a freshman in high school. Hudson Steffen’s trip to Hawaii to the 2013 NFL Pro Bowl was exactly that trip.
Hudson is the son of Bob and Joie Steffen of Clark. They went on this trip along with Hudson’s sister, Hannah, and brother, Hayse. The Pro Bowl, played by the best players in the National Football League, was held at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii, Sunday, Jan. 24.
“The whole week in Hawaii was pretty awesome,” Steffen said. “The seats at the game were 11 rows up on the 30-yard line, so that made it really fun.”
This trip was made possible by Make-A-Wish South Dakota, with Dacotah Bank, Webster, as the Adopt-A-Wish Partner.
In November 2010, Hudson was diagnosed with Mucopolysaccharidoses VI (MPS VI). MPS VI is a genetic lysosomal storage disease caused by the body’s inability to produce a specific enzyme. Normally, the body uses enzymes to break down and recycle materials in cells. In individuals with MPS VI, the missing or insufficient enzyme prevents the proper recycling process, resulting in the storage of materials in virtually every cell of the body. As a result, cells do not perform properly and may cause progressive damage throughout the body, including the heart, bones, joints, respiratory and central nervous systems.
“We are fortunate in that Hudson has a very mild form of the disease; it appears that his body is producing the enzymes from time to time, and so far there has been notable damage only to his bones,” Hudson’s mother, Joie Steffen, said.
There is no cure for this disease, but treatment is available to slow the progression. This treatment is Enzyme Replacement Therapy, which is essentially like a blood transfusion. The infusion will supplement Hudson with the enzyme that he is now insufficiently producing, in hopes that the disease will not move on to attack his heart and such. This treatment is once a week, lasts for five hours and takes place in Watertown. This will be a life-long endeavor.
“We still do not know a lot about this disease and Hudson is somewhat of a mystery to his doctors,” Joie Steffen said. “We are thankful that there is a treatment available, and that our son should enjoy a full life.”
Steffen, as his Aaron Rogers jersey reveals, is a huge Packer fan. “When I was younger, I liked the colors, and I’ve always been a Packer fan.”
He even went to Lambeau Field to tour the stadium in Green Bay last summer while on a motorcycle trip.
“My medical coordinator set up this trip for me. I had the choice of this Pro Bowl or the 2015 Super Bowl in Arizona. I couldn’t wait that long, and I’m really glad I chose the 2013 Pro Bowl.”
The Steffens arrived in Honolulu late Thursday, Jan. 24, with the Pro Bowl game being the following Sunday, Jan. 27.
Friday was a special day for Steffen as it was his day to have a Meet and Greet time after the morning practice, and he was able to have all the football All-Stars sign his football.
If any player impressed him more than the others, Steffen thought it would be C. J. Spiller, runningback for the Buffalo Bills. “He came over to our group and joked around with me. Made me feel kind of special, as he gave me a hard time jokingly, and he stuck around a while,” he said.
Quarterback Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks also made an impression upon Steffen. “The players seemed so big. Russell Wilson was the exception as he’s my height. He played for the Wisconsin Badgers, my college team.”
The game itself provided much offense, as the NFC defeated the AFC, 62 to 35. “The weather was nice, we were close to the cheerleaders (so they could sign my shirt) and it just proved to be a pretty awesome experience,” he said.
Another game highlight was when longtime center Jeff Saturday, now a Packer, switched sides and hiked the ball to long time teammate Peyton Manning, now of the Denver Broncos. The two played 11 years together with the Indianapolis Colts.
While in Hawaii, the Steffens toured the Dole Pineapple Plant and Pearl Harbor and went snorkeling in the ocean. “Hayse caught two fish, and we saw whales, dolphins, turtles and whole lot of fish,” Steffen said.
As the interview was winding down, Steffen was asked if anything else really stood out. “Yes,” he said. “For the first time in two years I missed a Friday infusion!”
