It seems like every heartwarming Christmas story features an adorable orphan, and Cristiano Ronaldo's heartwarming Christmas story is no different.
First there was this Tweet:
Can we help Haidar (who lost both his parents in the terrorist attack on #Beirut) meet @Cristiano ? @realmadriden pic.twitter.com/oPXE7RawL3
— Rana Harbi (@RanaHarbi) November 16, 2015Haidar is three years old. He was orphaned by a November bombing in Beirut that left more than 40 dead and more than 200 (including him) injured. Someone at Real Madrid saw the above tweet, or some part of the Twitter campaign that tweet led to, and decided that, yes, they could help Haidar meet Cristiano.
Real Madrid flew Haidar to Madrid, where he met club president Florentino Perez, and club idol Cristiano Ronaldo.
He lost his parents in an attack that occurred in Lebanon. His dream was to meet Cristiano Ronaldo. Lovely moment. pic.twitter.com/EAXdWGcPn5
— GeniusFootball (@GeniusFootball) December 22, 2015Here's the full video:
Cristiano Ronaldo Meets Haidar
Haidar also got to watch Real Madrid paste Rayo Vallecano, 10-2, on Sunday.
This is a nice reminder that, beneath the glitz and the glamour, Cristiano Ronaldo is a person.
Sometimes we look at Cristiano and we only see giant houses, expensive cars, beautiful women and shiny jewelry. We sometimes forget that he's a person just like the rest of us, who has feelings and will help an orphan in need.
Unless Cristiano adopts Haidar or something, we doubt Haidar's life will be significantly changed by visiting Real Madrid. More helpful is the reported $17,000 that's been raised for his medical expenses and education.
But, just for a day, Haidar could be a normal kid. He could meed his idol, one of the most famous athletes in the world. He could forget about all of the horrible things that have happened to him. He could be happy.
And isn't that what Christmas is all about?
(H/T FOX Soccer)
Contact The18 Staff Writer Sam Klomhaus at Klomhaus@The18.com or follow him on Twitter @SamKlomhaus
