DEARBORN, Mich -- Whether it's fair or not, the public has largely made up its mind about Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.

The ultra-talented, ultra-physical Suh has a reputation. It's a reputation that has been established by his peers -- who have twice named him the league's dirtiest player -- and propagated by the league and the media.

Away from the football field, Suh keeps the public at an arm's length. He's an intensely private individual who only allows a few people into his inner circle.

Maybe that's what makes Suh's relationship with Isaac Barchus so unique.

Isaac suffers from a rare auto-inflammatory disease only recently identified as CANDLE Syndrome. The medication required to treat the condition has significantly stunted his growth. At nine years old, he stands just 3-foot-6 and weighs only 40 pounds.

"He's not growing," Isaac's father Steve Barchus said. "He's in a lot of pain much of the time. He's on a lot of medications to keep him stable, a lot of experimental drugs right now. He goes out to the National Institute of Health every month for treatment."

Isaac's idol is the 6-foot-4, 307-pound Suh, dating back to the lineman's time with the University of Nebraska. The pair first met through the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

"Over the years, there have been a lot of people trying to make connections between Isaac and Ndamukong," Steve said. "It just never really worked out with his disease situation and things. When Make-A-Wish came about, that was the first time we had a chance to meet him."

Isaac and his family flew up to Detroit late last year as the guests of Suh and the Lions organization. They attended practice, met with the team and watched the Lions host the Indianapolis Colts from Suh's suite.

"It was awesome," Isaac said. "I didn't know we were going to sit in his (suite) until he told me after practice. It was fun. Even my brother Kyle said it was fun and he doesn't normally watch football with me."

Isaac Barchus prepares to throw the ball at Ndamukong Suh's youth football camp.

That memorable experience could have been the end to a nice story, but Suh has made an effort to stay in contact with Isaac.

In April, the Lions star returned to Omaha, Neb. for a Make-a-Wish fundraiser. He insisted Isaac and his family were in attendance.

"When he got there, he threw around the football with Isaac for thirty minutes or so and talked to him quite a bit," Steve said. "Ndamukong could have very easily said, 'It was good to see you, but now I've got to go out and see everybody else.' But that's not what he did. He said, 'Isaac, it's time for us to go out.' The entire night, he never left my son. That tells you a lot about the man."

The two connected again, earlier this month, when Isaac's parents surprised him for his birthday with a trip to Michigan to participate in Suh's youth football camp. They had to postpone a surgery to install a feeding button just to make the happen.

The opportunities to get together may be few and far between, but Suh has provided Isaac an open line of communication.

"He gave him his cell phone number so they can text back and forth," Steve said. "Isaac has texted him several times and he gets back to him five or ten minutes later. They've just built a really fabulous relationship. I tell people he's Suh's biggest, littlest fan."

It appears Isaac has cracked Suh's exclusive inner circle.

"I enjoy talking to him," Suh said. "He's a great kid. He's someone that's close to me now.