A mother has claimed that her eight-year-old daughter was pushed down the stairs at her first NFL game as she held up an "I beat cancer" sign.
Mia DeCamilla is a dedicated San Francisco 49ers fan and was excited to attend her first game.
Mia, who has overcome liver cancer twice, was attending the Bills-49ers matchup in Orchard Park holding a sign that read: “I Beat Cancer! My First NFL Game!”
Sadly, things took a turn for the worse.
The eight-year-old was allegedly pushed down a set of stairs by an intoxicated Bills fan during the third quarter.
The family told WIVB, a Buffalo-based CBS affiliate, that they saw the unruly fan approach their seats in Section 312.
“He said, ‘I’m going to push through all these Niner fans,’” Mia’s mother, Mikey DeCamilla, recounted. “He actually bumped me and my son a little bit and then got past me and pushed her. [She] almost slid off the stairs.”
Describing the situation further, she added: “He had to be 6 foot, and she is less than 100 pounds … I know that there’s competitiveness and whatnot, but there’s a point where it’s a family event.”
Though the incident was reported to police, the family chose not to file a formal complaint. Instead, they decided to leave the game early.
In a Facebook post that has since gone viral, Mikey shared her outrage and heartbreak over the incident.
“Sadly we left earlier than planned. Yes, the Niners are losing, but unfortunately we had to deal with the police because a drunk Bills fan decides it was cool to pass my husband and I and pushed our eight-year-old daughter, Warrior Mia DeCamilla, down the stairs,” she wrote.
The distraught mother added: “If you are this type of Bills Mafia fan, please unfollow our family now! Also, I hope the a**hole who thought it was cool to push a kid that stood in the cold with her cancer-free sign was so worth your win!”
Mia was diagnosed in January 2022 with childhood undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma of the liver, she underwent extensive chemotherapy and a 12-hour liver resection surgery in May 2022.
After eight more weeks of chemotherapy, Mia reached remission on July 25, 2022.
During her battle, a GoFundMe campaign was launched to help alleviate her family’s financial burdens, raising nearly $35,000.
Despite the unpleasant experience, Mia managed to find a bright spot in her evening. “My favorite part was getting to see Brock Purdy,” she told WHAM, a Rochester-based station. “He’s my favorite player and I have his jersey, too.”
Mia’s love for the 49ers stems from the special bond she shares with her father. “Me and my dad, [when I’m] in the hospital, we’ll watch football together,” she explained.
“And then when I come home, sometimes for breaks … I will sit down and just relax and watch football all day. That’s what I like and how I made my team.”
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