In the early days of her diagnosis of Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2011, Hannah Smith held on to soccer as her connection to living the life she loves. She said she played one of the best games of her life during the preliminary stages of her diagnosis and credits her doctors for giving her that flexibility. Post-cancer, Hannah played on three different teams during her time in high school and is a student-athlete at Alleghany College.

As the 9th honoree of Baltimore-based charity Craig Willinger Fund, 17-year-old Hannah Smith of Murrysville, Pennsylvania thought her wildest soccer dreams came true when she was awarded a trip to Natal, Brazil to see the U.S. Men’s National Team face Ghana in the first round of Group Stage play. Little did she know that there was more in store for her than just the game. Thanks to a special invite from U.S Soccer, Hannah was surprised with an exclusive meet-and-greet with the team at the Serhs Natal Grand Hotel that included an autograph and photo session with all the players and presentation of custom jerseys to commemorate her visit with the team. USMNT team captain Clint Dempsey also surprised her with an autographed pair of his cleats.