
Photo courtesy of Vestavia Hills Youth Football.
Cheerleaders for Vestavia Hills Youth Football Rebels second-grade team wear blue corsages at the 2016 Light Up the Night Game, which raised money to fight diabetes. The third-grade team will play in this year’s game at Sicard Hollow on Oct. 23.
Caden James Mitchell is a normal 8-year-old boy who enjoys playing quarterback for the Vestavia Hills Youth Football Rebels third-grade team.
But unlike his teammates, Caden James plays despite a serious health issue.
Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when he was 2, Caden James plays football wearing an insulin pump and continuous glucose meter.
“Both of these machines are vital to his health and must be worn 24/7,” said his mother, Stacy Mitchell.
But Caden James and his teammates are doing their part to fight Type 1 diabetes.
The Rebels take on Homewood at Sicard Hollow Athletic Complex on Oct. 23 at 6 p.m. in the annual “Light Up the Night Blue Out to Blow Out T1D” game.
The game helps raise money for the Alabama chapter of the Junior Diabetes Research Foundation and jump starts National Diabetes Awareness Month for November.
Blue is the event theme, with the cheerleaders wearing blue corsages, the players wearing neon blue socks and wristbands, and organizers distributing day-glow blue bracelets to fans, according to team mom Brantley Bowden.
Mitchell expresses gratitude for the support that Caden James has received in Vestavia Hills.
“From our schools to our Little Rebels football team, Caden James' plight has become a battle he does not have to fight alone,” Mitchell said.
Admission is $3, with children ages 6 and younger admitted free.
For more information, go to vhyf.com or facebook.com/VHYFootball.