The LandTek Group and The Marty Lyons Foundation grant Rayan’s wish with help from Hellas

The LandTek Group, a leader in sports facility construction and member of the TenCate family of companies, partnered with The Marty Lyons Foundation to grant a life-changing wish for Rayan, a 16-year-old from Katy, Texas. With support from Hellas, another TenCate company based in Texas, the team built a custom backyard basketball court, surrounded with Pivot, TenCate’s flagship non-infilled synthetic turf. The project gives Rayan the chance to reconnect with the sport he loves despite overwhelming medical challenges.

Rayan, a triplet and avid athlete, was born with a congenital heart defect and airway defect. After undergoing open-heart surgery in 2021, complications led to cardiac arrest and an anoxic brain injury. He now faces a dilated aortic arch and can no longer play team sports, a devastating blow for a teen whose passion was football and basketball. His wish for a backyard basketball court was a unique request for the Marty Lyons Foundation.

“This was a unique wish, and we knew it would take a strong partner to make it happen,” said Marty Lyons, founder of The Marty Lyons Foundation and former NY Jets legend. “Our mission is to grant wishes today for a better tomorrow and thanks to The LandTek Group and Hellas, Rayan now has a safe space to play, dream and defy the limits his illness has tried to impose.”

Founded in 1982, The Marty Lyons Foundation grants wishes to children ages 3-17 diagnosed with life-threatening or terminal illnesses. Operating in 14 states, the foundation has granted over 8,700 wishes and is unique in offering a second wish under extreme medical circumstances.

For Rayan and his family, the court is more than concrete and hoops — it’s a symbol of resilience. “Basketball was always his passion,” said Jennifer Rabout, Rayan’s mother. “Now, he can play safely at home with his siblings and friends. This court reminds him every day that he can still achieve great things.”