While O'Rourke was in his hospital room, Gritty himself made an appearance, visibly surprising the young fan.
In the video, you can see the excitement on O'Rourke's face as his jaw drops when Gritty walks into the room.
The Flyers mascot arrived with a bag of merchandise in hand, including a custom jersey.
The surprise comes just a week before O'Rourke's eighth birthday, sure to make it a Flyers celebration to remember.