A boy bonded with Greg Olsen while awaiting a heart transplant. Eight years later, they reunited

Bryson Shupe, from Conover, was just as surprised on his trip to Green Bay when he reunited with his hero!

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Carolina Panthers legend Greg Olsen made the trip Sunday to call the game against Green Bay as a commentator. But before kickoff happened, a special surprise was in store for him.

Levine Children’s Hospital shared a touching video on Instagram, showing Olsen reunite with a boy named Bryson Shupe. The two embraced in the press box at Lambeau Field, reuniting eight years after the two first met.

The hospital said Shupe, who’s from Conover, was waiting for a heart transplant at the same time that Olsen’s own son, TJ, was. The two met during a visit, with Sir Purr in tow, sparking in Shupe a love for the Panthers.

Now a healthy 14-year-old, Shupe was sent on the trip set up by Levine Children’s and the Panthers, leading to the touching reunion between him and Olsen. Shupe even commented when they embraced that even he didn’t know this was happening.

TJ Olsen was born with a congenital heart condition that necessitated the transplant. In 2013, Greg Olsen and his wife, Kara, launched The HEARTest Yard, a foundation that offers support for pediatric cardiovascular patients.

Click to View Story – https://www.wcnc.com/article/life/heartwarming/greg-oslen-bryson-surprise-11-2-2025/275-86fa860c-15fa-4b23-881d-b18674998da9