Huddy Droubay had been waiting his turn. The 5-year-old from Syracuse, Utah, who has Down syndrome, watched his older brothers play soccer, and a little over a year ago, he finally joined a city league team himself. His mom, Melanie Droubay, posted a video of him out on the field.
“The video got a couple million views because it was just him smiling the whole time,” she told KSL. “I don’t even know if he kicked the ball; he was just so happy to be on the field.”
Serendipitously, one view came from superstar David Beckham. He commented that it was the sweetest smile he’d seen on a soccer pitch, or something close to it. “So, that was kind of the start of it all,” Droubay said.
A few months later, Beckham sent Huddy a couple of signed jerseys with his name on them. Then, this past summer, a surprise package arrived with a letter from Beckham, now a co-owner of Inter Miami, inviting the whole family to a game.
By then, Huddy had a name for him. His mother shared, “The ‘Mr. David’ part started when Huddy sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to David Beckham and sang ‘Happy birthday, Mr. David.’”
On Wednesday, Oct. 28, before Inter Miami’s match against FC Cincinnati, the two finally met in the team’s locker room. In a video Droubay posted, Huddy hangs back for a moment before Beckham wins him over with a high-five and a hug. Beckham then takes his hand and gives him a tour, including a turn in Lionel Messi’s chair. They wore matching Inter Miami jerseys, and Beckham’s had “Mr. David” printed on the back. They signed each other’s shirts and went out on the field to score a few goals.
The family thought that was the whole plan, but there was more. When the players came out of the tunnel before the game, Huddy walked out holding Messi’s hand.
“We didn’t know that he was going to walk out with Messi,” Droubay said. “We just knew we were going to meet David Beckham and watch a game. (Beckham) went out of his way and orchestrated everything because I think he genuinely just wanted Huddy to have the best experience.”
Droubay started sharing Huddy’s life online when he was born, on an account just for friends and family. Moments like this one, she said, mean everything.
“I want Huddy to grow up knowing that he belongs everywhere, that he’s capable of amazing things, and that having Down syndrome doesn’t limit the joy and opportunities he deserves in life,” she said.
