PHILADELPHIA — The Super Bowl’s kickoff was less than an hour away when Declan LeBaron was pulled from his seat at the Superdome on Sunday. Bradley Cooper, the Hollywood megastar who doubles as an Eagles diehard, was set to introduce the Birds in New Orleans as they ran onto the field. He wanted the 9-year-old LeBaron, who has systemic juvenile arthritis, to join him.

They quickly rehearsed their spiel. The Oscar-nominated actor shared the spotlight with the kid from Doylestown who loves the Eagles so much he stayed in last month to watch a playoff game while his friends sledded outside.

“Him and Bradley just went over it one time,” said Declan’s mom, Jillian.

And that’s all they needed. With the Eagles standing in the tunnel, Cooper said “From the city of Brotherly Love, your 2024 NFC Champions, the Philadelphia ...” before moving the microphone to his buddy.

“E-A-G-L-E-S Eagles,” they shouted.

It was perfect. LeBaron and Cooper crushed the intro and it felt like the Superdome shook as thousands of Eagles fans joined their chant in unison. LeBaron helped make New Orleans feel like South Philly. It was suddenly obvious that there would be nothing neutral about the neutral-site game.

“The game was done right there,” Jillian LeBaron said as the Eagles steamrolled the Chiefs, 40-22, to win their second Super Bowl title. “We knew we had it.”

Paying it forward

Declan LeBaron missed nearly all of first grade and had to be home-schooled for two years while dealing with his illness. He had a fever higher than 105 degrees for almost 12 weeks, underwent lumbar taps, and bone marrow biopsies while multiple doctors struggled to find a diagnosis.

“Advocate for your child,” Jillian LeBaron said. “You know your child best. If they’re in pain, seek out different opinions. It took us a good three months to find out what was wrong with Declan.”

Declan spent more than 100 days in the hospital, suffered bacteria infections, and dealt with sepsis. The last two years, his mother said, were rough. His condition is now treated with medication, which manages his pain but leaves him susceptible to illnesses.

“So instead of getting arthritis flares right now, he gets every cold and illness that’s in his school,” his mother said. “But all in all, he’s doing great.”

The Eagles wanted to surprise LeBaron last month with tickets to the NFC championship game and used a social-media influencer to present him the tickets.

LeBaron, thinking he was headed to an Eagles party at the hospital, was with his mom buying decorations at a dollar store when he was approached. He had a choice: $1,000 or a stuffed Swoop doll.

He picked the Swoop and then received the tickets. Zachery Dereniowski, the influencer, then handed the boy the cash, which LeBaron decided to give out to shoppers instead of pocketing.

Earlier that week, LeBaron’s third-grade teacher, Michelle MacNeill, read a book about paying it forward. LeBaron said that’s what he was doing as he handed out $20 bills.

“He’s a very kind person,” his mother said. “He really is.”

Setting the tone with Coop

LeBaron’s video went viral for his generosity and caught the attention of NBC’s "Today" show. They wanted to bring the LeBarons to New York and surprise them with Super Bowl tickets. Near the end of the viral video, Cooper waves to LeBaron while the boy is on the field with his mom before the Eagles’ game. NBC asked Cooper to visit the studio and present the Super Bowl tickets to a fellow Birds fan.

A few days later, the family headed to New Orleans. On Thursday, Cooper called them on FaceTime and asked if LeBaron wanted to help him that Sunday.

The Eagles asked Cooper to introduce the team before the game but he told the Eagles he would only do it if LeBaron joined him. The boy was in.

“He was ready,” his mother said. “He was just on cloud nine and soaked up every second. The smile has not left his face for days.”

And there he was on Sunday, in Cooper’s arms as the stadium roared and his heroes took the field. Cooper said the introduction felt as important as when he sung at the Academy Awards or performed in front of 90,000 people at the Glastonbury Festival in Scotland. The third-grader from Doylestown wasn’t fazed.

“He was so calm,” Cooper said Monday on the Pat McAfee Show. “I was nervous and he was calming me. It was awesome.”

The Eagles rolled to a Super Bowl title and the tone for the lopsided win was set by a 9-year-old boy who thought it was right to pay it forward.

“It was just joy,” his mother said. “We’re still pinching ourselves. I can’t believe it was real. He was just able to be a 9-year-old. He wasn’t in the hospital. He wasn’t home sick. He was able to watch his favorite team, feel good, and soak up everything.”

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