CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — It’s the season of giving back, and Carolina Panthers safety Xavier Woods is in an extremely giving mood.
“I’m blessed enough to be in the position that I’m in,” said the veteran Woods. “And so giving back is just, first off, of importance. It’s one of my things I wanted to do. I’ve given back to my community back in Louisiana, so this will be my first time being able to give back to the community in Charlotte.”
But Woods isn’t just “giving back.” His mission has a deeper purpose.
His 5-year-old daughter was diagnosed with autism two years ago after a massive brain injury.
He partnered with Best Buddies Thursday evening to meet other parents of children with developmental and intellectual disabilities for a holiday event at Queen Park Social.
“It’s not easy dealing with a… having a special-needs daughter,” Woods said. “It’s a lot of hands-on, a lot of eyes. You have to be focused at all times. And so just to be able to give back and let them come out and have some fun, let them feel like they’re seen, they’re heard.”
Parents and their children were immersed in arcade games, basketball and bowling at the Lower South End entertainment center. Woods says he was excited to see the children enjoy themselves at the arcade but also be around other similar kids.
He was more excited to see the parents relax.
“This is just like just a break away from family life, having the hustle and bustle of a family lifestyle,” Woods said.
One parent agreed. He says watching his 16-year-old son enjoy bowling, eating cheeseburgers, and hanging out was a gift in and of itself. He was thankful to be around other parents in the community.
“It’s really a blessing, to be honest. I mean, there are some things that maybe we do that other parents of typical children don’t do,” he said. “But there’s kind of an understanding when you meet another family with a kid with special needs, kind of know a little bit, at least that’s what each other’s been going through that.”
“It’s on us as parents to not only be patient with them but learn how to take care of them,” Woods said. “It’s on us. It’s not for them to adapt, it’s for us to adapt. They just have a different way of thinking.”