National Basketball Association

Howard grants wish of dying woman

Published Sep. 8, 2010 1:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

Kay Kellogg had one wish before cancer claims her life — to meet Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard.

He granted it in a big way.

According to the Orlando Sentinel, Howard recently spent time with Kellogg, a 62-year-old Magic fan with stage 3 multiple myeloma. The cancer is inoperable and incurable, the newspaper reported — but Howard lifted her spirits and she ended up lifting his.

"Dwight Howard is just such a precious, wonderful kid," she told the Sentinel. "Whenever I watch him play, he just makes me feel good inside."

Kellogg's daughter, Arian Clute, contacted the Magic several weeks ago about her mother's wish to have a conversation with Howard, the two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year. He was scheduled to visit her home for 30 minutes but stayed several hours, according to the Sentinel.

When he asked why he was the only item on her bucket list, she told him, "Because some people get a choir that sings them into heaven and some people get a chariot that rolls them into heaven. Not me. I want to be slam-dunked smack, dab into the middle of heaven by Dwight Howard."

They talked about life, love, death and divinity — laughing and joking much of the time, according to the Sentinel. When he left, the 6-foot-11 Howard bent down and hugged the 4-foot-11 Kellogg. "You are taller than me," he told her.

"That's the silliest thing I've ever heard," she said.

"No," Howard said, "you are taller than me because your spirit lifts you up."