INDIANAPOLIS — As players for the Michigan Wolverines and the Iowa Hawkeyes take midfield Saturday night for the Big Ten Football Championship inside Lucas Oil Stadium, they'll have a few kids walk on the field with them.
The children are Big Ten Kid Captains and two kids will be representing each team.
One of them is from central Indiana and spends his time off the field at Peyton Manning Children's Hospital.
His name is Kayson McPhearson.
"Everything he does, he puts his all into it like it's going to be his last time," said Kayson's mother, Ashlee Fuller.
That's because, at just eight years old, Kayson has been battling kidney failure his entire life.
"I met him shortly after he was born within the first month of life," said Kayson's doctor, Dr. Mona Zawaideh. "As a baby, Kayson had to go through periods of dialysis, and his family had to learn how to do that at home."
Then, in 2019, Kayson received a life-saving kidney transplant.
"He is a really strong kid," said Fuller. "It was sad, because I found out it was another young boy that passed away."
Thanks to that donor, Kayson is now able to play sports, flag football.
"My team was really good," said Kayson. "It was really cool to play flag football."
Plus, Kayson says he is excited to stand next to some of the best college football players in the Big Ten Conference during Saturday's championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Not only will Kayson be on the field for the coin toss, he'll also receive a jersey and suite tickets for the game while also meeting the Big Ten commissioner.
"It's going to be really fun at the big game," said Kayson.
Fuller says 'fun' is what her family focused on these days.
"It means everything to me," said Fuller. "Just seeing him smile and happy, it changes my whole day."
"As any kid with a chronic kidney condition," said Dr. Zawaideh, "sometimes life can be challenging."
As of early December, Fuller says 30% of Kayson's new kidney is failing.
Kayson, however, is holding onto hope and not giving up.
"There is always hope in everything that we do," said Dr. Zawaideh.
"He wants to be a football player," said Fuller, "he wants to be a baseball player, but deep down, he always keeps saying that he wants to be a doctor. That's special to me, because he watches these doctors here treat him so well and treat other kids really well, so that's why he wants to do it."
Kayson, who is in second grade, shared a message directly to his doctors and nurses at Peyton Manning Children's Hospital.
"Thank you for taking care of me," said Kayson.
"This hospital means so much to me," said Fuller, "because if it wasn't for them, I wouldn't have him. I am very grateful for this hospital, and all they've done for us. I'll never forget what they've done for my son."