Giovany Marcelino is ten years old, has leukemia, and is passionate about the Mais Querido (the most beloved club). Not necessarily in that order. One of his greatest desires was to meet his team's players. And that dream became reality, thanks to a joint initiative between Clube de Regatas do Flamengo and the non-governmental organization (NGO) Make-A-Wish Brasil.

Last weekend, when the Flamengo team was in Joinville for the match against Atlético-PR, the boy went to the hotel where the Flamengo delegation was staying, accompanied by his father and Marcio Arbigaus, an NGO volunteer. There, Giovany chatted and took photos with the players and even had his Flamengo jersey autographed.

"Giovany lives about 250 km from Joinville. He went there thinking he was going to a doctor. When we arrived at the hotel, the boy began to notice the crowds, but only realized what was going to happen when we were at the cafeteria door. His reaction was incredibly emotional. He and his father were thrilled and happy. All the players were very friendly," said Marcio Arbigaus.

Make-A-Wish Brazil was founded in 2008 and works to make dreams come true for children with life-threatening illnesses. The organization has already granted more than 550 wishes for young people across the country and has a network of approximately 300 volunteers. Click here to visit the NGO's official website.