A 10-year-old Coral Springs boy battling leukemia will live out his baseball dream in September when he meets San Diego Padres slugger Fernando Tatis Jr.
Jackson Parker, who has been fighting cancer at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, learned on Sunday that Make-A-Wish Southern Florida will send him to California to meet Tatis – Parker’s idol and one of Major League Baseball’s biggest stars.
Currently in remission and healthy enough to travel, Parker was brought to the TBT Training facility for athletes in Boca Raton on Sunday, ostensibly to work out with his baseball travel team.
Instead, Parker was shocked to find his family and friends waiting to spring the big news: he’d soon be flying to California to hang out with the charismatic right fielder nicknamed “El Niño.”
Parker and his pals celebrated the news by playing baseball, eating pizza, and enjoying a Tatis-themed cake.
“He was really excited. After everything, this is what he needs,” said Parker’s mother, Brittan DeFau.
The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants life-changing wishes to children with critical illnesses. Their entire families are included in the wish experiences at no cost.
Meeting Tatis will be a dream come true for Parker, who lived at the hospital for over a year while undergoing aggressive chemotherapy. He’s loved baseball “since he could walk” and “would either swing bats or clubs, that was it … he broke my TV with one when he was two-and-a-half,” DeFau said.
Parker, who plays catcher, loves Tatis because of his style and colorful gear.
“He looks up to him,” said DeFau.
Like Parker, Tatis’ mother used to reward him for good grades by buying him new baseball bats or gloves, Tatis has said. And out on the diamond, Tatis is still a kid at heart.
“I’m always trying to be happy,” Tatis told MLB.com. “I always remember it’s a game. You’re not always going to win. But no matter what, you have to [have] a good time. Be the best version of yourself. Be a kid.”
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