Marlins host Childhood Cancer Awareness Night at loanDepot park

In honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, the Miami Marlins teamed up with Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center’s alex’s place, part of UHealth – University of Miami Health System, to bring pediatric cancer survivors, along with their families and physicians, to loanDepot park for Childhood Cancer Awareness Night on Sept. 3. The evening served as a much-deserved reprieve for the courageous children and their support systems.

“These kids spend most of their time in the hospital. Their childhood has been robbed from them,” said Dr. Aditi Dhir, MD. “For them, their playgrounds are the hospital and clinic. That’s what they see and where all their experiences are. Coming out to a place like here and experiencing this is really important for these kids and families.”

As the group watched batting practice in front of Miami’s dugout, with Marlins players and coaches wearing Strike Out Cancer T-shirts featuring designs created by the kids on National Coloring Book Day on Aug. 2, a handful of them stopped by to chat, take pictures, and sign autographs.

“These interactions mean a lot to me, but it’s more for the kids,” said Marlins pitcher Jesús Luzardo. “We can use our platform in a positive way, and I feel like that’s something that we often take for granted. The chance that we get to come and talk with these kids, even for just a couple minutes, I think they enjoy it a lot.”

This also marked a full-circle moment for Luzardo and the kids. Leading up to Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, he was joined by Marlins Manager Skip Schumaker and Marlins pitchers Declan Cronin and Max Meyer for a visit to alex’s place on Aug. 20. They spent the morning with patients as they delivered JoyJars and donated two Nintendo Switches courtesy of AutoNation and the Starlight Children's Foundation.

“It was great to see the kids again, bring them out here on the field with us and show them what we do,” said Luzardo. “Hopefully, we got them excited about the game and they get to have some fun.”

The experience at the ballpark provided the kids with far more than just a good time.

“The treatment [my daughter] is undergoing right now is very challenging, so when she has access to events like this one, she can forget that she’s sick,” said a mother of one of the patients. “Seeing her smile is priceless. The chemotherapy is really hard on her, and she cannot enjoy life like she used to. She is feeling better now, but the last couple of months were terrible for her, and she was not smiling at all. When she has access to experiences like this, we get to see her smile again.”

Not only was the impact felt by the patients and their families, but also the physicians, who share a unique connection.

“It definitely means a lot to me,” said Dr. Dhir. “We become a part of the patients’ families. We see them every day, so to be able to experience life outside the hospital with them is a very nice experience. It’s really nice to have this bonding experience with our patients and see them enjoy this.”

Marlins pitcher Valente Bellozo and outfielder Griffin Conine met with the group after batting practice and presented them with personalized Marlins jerseys.

“Anything positive that these kids can get in the situation that they’re in is such a huge win,” said Conine. “This stuff matters and is important. Anytime that I can be a part of it, even just a small part, is an honor.”

The kids participated in several other exciting pre-game activities, including delivering the game’s lineup card, giving high-fives to the players as they took the field, and making the “play ball” announcement.

“[My daughter] is having a great time and will have great memories from this,” said the patient’s mother. “She is experiencing stuff that she would’ve never been able to experience outside of this, so she is feeling special for something that is a good thing this time. Usually, she feels special but not for a good reason.”