Football players at Ohio middle school help team's manager with spina bifida score touchdown

MIAMISBURG, Ohio -- Eighth-grade football players in Ohio worked to make their team manager feel extra special during a game Wednesday night.

Paul Townsend was born with spina bifida, a congenital defect that occurs when the spine or spinal cord doesn't form properly.

His family was told he had a 2% chance to live to the age of 1. Townsend is now 15.

He loves sports and serves as the manager for an eighth-grade football team in Miamisburg. After all of his hard work, the team wanted to find a special way to thank Townsend, WKEF-TV reported.

They helped him score a touchdown during Wednesday night's game.

The team's coach said the touchdown took two years to plan.

"It's exciting, it really is, and I love the fact that the team has made him a part of it," said Helena Baker, Townsend's mom. "Even though he can't run and walk the way they do, he uses wheels so he does really well for his type."