Yesterday I received a phone call from child activist Nick Singh. For years now Nick’s job has been to bring hope to children that are told that they have cancer etc. He tries to make their wishes come true. He tries to give them hope for a hopeful future.
Depending on the case he calls me for assistance. Being the father of 4 healthy adult children and a grandchild, I know how blessed I have been. I will never say no to Nick because I know his heart is real.
We had planned on going to the Joe DiMaggio hospital to visit 7-year-old Yankee fan Avery Cohen. Avery had been diagnosed with Leukemia and even had his sister help him with a bone marrow situation.
Unfortunately, Nick emotionally told me that we lost Avery.
I really don’t know what to say except that these situations never ever get easier. Every day I think about all these kids that we have lost through the years. I think about the Cristian Rivera Foundation and little Cristian who we lost at the age of six. I also think about the horrible torture that this must be for the parents.
I think about the fact that we always get close to these kids and then in many cases, we lose them.
I am however grateful for all the wonderful research by the great doctors who have helped save the lives of so many children.
I don’t know how to close this except that I will pray extra hard for all people dealing with this disease called cancer.
The other call I received was from my friend Dave McCarthy of the Ted Williams Hall of Fame.
He called to tell me that Ted’s daughter Claudia had died. She was 52 years old and a wonderful person that I will never forget. She was a friend during a period of my life that I really needed one.
Claudia was a nurse and went about her profession the same way that her father did his business on the baseball field.
Claudia was very beautiful inside and out. The world lost an amazing woman but the true universe has received two angels in Claudia and Avery.
