When the Stars Align (Anthony Rizzo)

20| Ring The Bell

Anthony

It's September now and baseball is winding down. It's obvious that we're not playing any part in the post season, so it's easy to slack off because we're not playing any meaningful baseball. But I still have plenty of reasons to play. One of the biggest reasons I do is for the kids I visit at the children's hospital in Chicago. I try to visit Luries a few times a month, once as a part of the foundation I started and that is helped out with the Cubs and once as their friend, not a baseball player.

And that time of the month comes around so I pull on some normal clothes, a Cubs shirt and a pair of shorts that allow me to play with the kids down on the floor. I pick Kelsey up on my way and in no time we were playing with the kids in their rooms.

I had one kid that I've gotten pretty close with over the year or so he's been here and his name is Nathan. He had bone cancer and lost his right leg from the hip down, but that doesn't stop him from being one of the most active and fun loving kids ever. He's been in physical therapy for a while and they got him a prosthetic leg to help him around without a wheel chair. Nothing can stop him, he had fire in his eyes and I knew he was going to beat this thing. For an 8 year old he had some big ambitions and I couldn't wait until he was out of here and out in the real world again making it a better place.

But for some reason I couldn't find my little buddy today. He wasn't in his room and he wasn't where they played at so I wasn't sure where he was. I made sure I didn't come on treatment days because last time I did that he was so upset he didn't get to see me he cried until I visited again.

"Hey Jake, do you know where Nathan is" I ask a nurse. He sends me a big smile and I become confused.

"You haven't heard" he asks and I look at him weird.

"Heard what" I wonder.

"Well it's not my place to tell. But I can find him for you" he says. So I stay put and continue to play with kids who were in the play areas. Eventually I see Nathan hobbling down the hallway and I smile. His fake leg moving his little body as quick as he could to get over to me. I get up off the ground and grab Kelsey before going over to him.

"Hey buddy, where have you been" Kelsey asks as he stops right in front of us.

"I was packing up my stuff I keep around the hospital" he says and I cock my head to the side.

"Why" I wonder.

"Because I'm not sick anymore" he says and I freeze. My eyebrows reach the top of my head as my lips pull tight.

"Seriously" I ask barley able to speak as he nods his bald little head.

"Oh Nathan, that's amazing. We're so happy for you" Kelsey insists. She pulls him into a hug and I join in. We embrace each other as a happy tear finds its way to my cheek.

This moment right here is what I work my ass off for. The knowledge of getting a family back together, of letting a kid be able to be a kid again, helping save someone's life, it's something that can't be topped. There's no better feeling than hearing that you no longer have cancer, trust me, I know. Going on this journey with him and seeing him fight, seeing his family fight, it makes you want to fight for what you want your life to be too.

So we take him over to the bell that said "cancer free" above it. Kelsey holds him up so he can reach and he rings the bell a few times. His family and nurses proudly watch from the side as he claps his hands too. He wasn't sure what to do, all he knew was that he could finally go home.

So we help him pack up and give him all his stuff we've brought him over the months. He turns to me and I try to keep the tears away, but it's hard. That was my guy and I'm just so happy for him. He is going to great things in this world, I just know it.

"Here, I want you to have this" he says handing me a piece of paper. I see a drawing of him and Kelsey and I playing wiffel ball like we did not too long ago. The words "my hero" were above my head and I just knew I wasn't going to fight these tears off any more.

"This is perfect, thank you" I sniffle.

"Can I still see you" he asks and I smile.

"Yeah buddy. Maybe we can get you to a game before the season is over. Then you can run the bases like a real Cubs player" I promise and he lights up.

"Really" he cheers and I nod.

"Yeah. It's gonna be a lot of fun" I smile.

And with that we send him on his way. I know it's a good thing that he was able to leave this hospital, a lot of kids don't because they don't make it. But it doesn't make it hurt any less. He made this place brighter and I'm gonna miss seeing his smile around here.

"You okay there big guy" Kelsey asks as she rubs my shoulders.

"They grow up so fast" I tease as she giggles at me.

"If it makes you feel any better that kid is going to be able to do great things, and that's in big part thanks to you and all you do around here" she insists.

"It does help a little" I admit.

"But there's still plenty of people here that are like Nathan who are still fighting day in and day out. They could use a guy like you" she claims.

"Then let's get back to it" I say. I grab her hand and we walk back inside. We find some kids to play with and give them our time, something that has been taken from them from the moment they heard they have cancer. But the thing about time is that there's not a lot of it, especially when you're stuck in here doing chemo or radiation. There's hours wasted sitting in a chair or lying on a bed not able to move. And I can't control time, I can't heal them faster. But I can't make the time they do have here just a little bit better.