SPARTANBURG, S.C. – When Larry Shaw was 8 years old, he was diagnosed with epilepsy. The promising young athlete was told he could no longer play contact sports.

Larry suffers from seizures on a regular basis. He won't ever be able to drive.

"It hasn't been easy on him or us," said his mother, Valerie. "But as he says, 'Mom, we gotta keep pounding.'"

Even though the family lives in New Jersey, Larry developed a love for the Carolina Panthers in middle school.

When he turned 16 a couple years ago, his family gave him a Panthers-themed prom sendoff.

This year, for his 18th birthday, the family wanted to "kick it up a notch," so they surprised him with a trip to training camp for the first practice.

It was everything they hoped it would be, especially since Larry got to stand inches away from quarterback Cam Newton after practice.

"Just wanted to say THANK YOU!" his sister Reneé tweeted at Newton. "You probably don't know this, but today you made a boys dream come true.

"Having the opportunity to just be in your presence truly made his day and birthday. Thank you to the Panthers and Cam Newton for helping my brother dream big again."