Matthew Stafford surprises family who recently lost their father

Highland Park High School grad and Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford was joined by his wife Kelly as they gave back this holiday season with gifts and their time.

The Staffords visited three young fans last week - Talon, Skyler, and a 3-year-old.

The children unexpectedly lost their father in September.

Their family said they often went to Lions games with their dad.

So the quarterback decided to bring gifts to the kids, and even played Madden with them.

Their uncle said he noticed one important change when the Staffords walked through the door.

“It was their genuine happy smiles that came back. We haven't seen that in a long time,” Bob Webb said. "It wasn't a quick, here for half an hour, it was time spent. It was their interaction in general, getting to spend time with an NFL quarterback."

The family said they also hoped to encourage the Staffords, who have gone through their own recent struggles.

This year, Kelly went through surgery to remove a non-cancerous brain tumor, and Matthew is mending from injuries that took him out of six games this season.