A 12-year-old Israeli girl who suffers from a rare genetic disease was honored Tuesday with carrying the ball into the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey for the FIFA World Cup match between France and Senegal.

Ayala Ohana is one of 104 children from all over the world who were selected by Korean automaker Kia, a partner of the soccer governing body, to deliver the ball to referees ahead of each match.

She and her father, an online content creator, traveled together to Tuesday’s match, which ended 3-1 for France.

Ohana has Gaucher disease, which causes a buildup of fatty substances in tissue that leads to malfunctions in the liver, spleen and other organs. People of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry have a higher risk than others of developing the disease.

Speaking with the Ynet news site earlier this month, Ayala said she receives treatment every week or two for her condition. “It’s impossible to live without the treatment,” she said.

Ohana’s father Hananel runs Instagram and TikTok pages with hundreds of thousands of followers, with whom he has shared Ayala’s story and raised awareness for the disease.

In a June 3 video from the doctor’s office, Hananel revealed to Ayala what he said he had been keeping from her for two months:........

© The Times of Israel