Last May, Dakota Case, a Wild diehard who was born with a rare congenital heart defect called truncus arteriosus, went into severe cardiac failure and pulmonary edema. He'd spend the next 11 weeks in Nebraska Medicine's Cardiac ICU, the first 40 days of which were on a heart and lung bypass machine.
He doesn't remember June or half of July, including his 25th birthday. He spent seven weeks in rehab, where he had to relearn how to walk and what it means to live with a left ventricular assist device.
During those harrowing four months, Case's dad, Chuck, used to text Wild defenseman Nate Prosser constant updates. Prosser mailed a care package of Wild goodies, autographs and a note encouraging Dakota, including an invitation to tickets to a Wild game when he was up to it.
Dakota Case, who hails from Sioux Falls and is an aspiring broadcaster, became a fan of Prosser when he played for the Sioux Falls Stampede. After signing with the Wild in 2010, Prosser met Dakota during a Road Tour to Sioux Falls and the two have stayed in touch since.
Case awaits a heart transplant. Last month, he fought with his doctors to take Prosser up on his offer.
Without the Wild even knowing, Prosser hosted Dakota and his parents, Jennifer and Chuck, for a game against Washington. He left them prime tickets, paid for their hotel room and left them passes for a locker-room tour.
"It was insane, and I'm a little ashamed to admit that I geeked out," Dakota Case said of meeting player after player and former coach Mike Yeo. "Dad and I literally had the biggest grins our faces have ever produced."
"He was so pumped," Prosser said. "It was the best feeling ever."
