Young Notre Dame fan gets her wish - to see a game in person

NOTRE DAME, Ind. -

A young Notre Dame fan from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, who survived a rare bone disease, recently had her biggest wish come true, to see the Fighting Irish play a game at Notre Dame Stadium.

In October 2014, Notre Dame fan Emily Dougherty was diagnosed with a deadly disease.

"I had aplastic anemia," said Emily.

"Which is a rare form of bone failure," Jen Dougherty, Emily's mom, said.

The disease required Emily, then 10-years-old, to get a bone marrow transplant.

Her sister donated her marrow.

"Luck of the Irish right there," Jen said.

It also required numerous chemotherapy treatments.

"Since October it's been a long 10 months," Jen said.

But something powered Emily through the pain. She wanted to live to see a game the Fighting Irish play in Notre Dame Stadium.

"I really love them," Emily said.

She received her chemo treatments while wearing a Fighting Irish sweatshirt.

Good Samaritans took notice and donated money for her to travel to the season opener against Texas.

"It's a dream come true. It's amazing," Jen said.

Emily, now 11-years-old, took it all in.

"Everything. The sights and that stuff," Emily said.

"So we are here celebrating with the Irish and we are here to celebrate her victory as well," Jen said.

Emily and her family say now they are working on raising awareness for aplastic anemia. 

Doctors informed them only one in 3 million have the disease and they want to make sure families know their options.