ROCHESTER — In late 2023, when Aidden Tilly, then 13, was in the hospital awaiting a heart transplant, another parent on that floor asked him what he wanted for Christmas.

He took a few days to think about it. Then, Aidden shared his answer: a Chick-fil-A shirt.

After several weeks of being at Mayo Clinic Hospital-Saint Marys, Aidden was missing his favorite fast food. It would lead to a connection with Rochester Chick-fil-A franchisees Matt and Crystal Stockdale, who supplied Aidden with even more Chick-fil-A gear during his Christmas in Rochester.

That support from the Stockdales — and deluxe chicken sandwiches with no cheese and exactly 10 pickles — became a through-line for the Elk River teen's months-long hospital stay in Rochester.

Just a few days after birth, Aidden was diagnose

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