Building more than good basketball players
As we are coming up on Ella’s 10 year gene therapy birthday, I can’t help but think of the gratitude I feel seeing the everyday joys that she gets to experience. One of the biggest the last two years has been going to the Spring-Ford basketball games and being a small part of this team.
Last week Ella went to a game with Hut and Eli. I did not go, so I wasn’t surprised when I got a pic of her at the game. What did surprise me is that she seemed to have Eli’s necklace on that Dan Peticca made him last year. I was shocked that Eli allowed her to wear the necklace, so I asked how that managed to happen. He responded that it was a brand new necklace, a bit more petite (if that’s possible) just for Ella. It brought tears to my eyes that he would make one for Ella as well, and as you can see, her smile tells a story of just how happy it made her.
This Coach had a team building event at Top Golf recently, and of course Ella wanted to go and watch the boys. Much to my surprise, when we got there, she went right over to the girls who manage the team who had their own bay. They so kindly invited Ella into their bay to play with them.
As I went back and forth, (she didn’t want me to stay with her) I felt like I had a permanent smile on my face. Watching her with her peers and Eli take shots for coach Joe on this Friday night, felt so “normal”
They enjoyed their night so much and it felt so good to see them both so happy.
These are moments that we would never have been able to witness without treatment for MLD.
People may not realize how much kindness and inclusion can mean to someone, but I am here to say, it doesn’t just affect the person being included, it has ripple effects that can, and DO affect everyone in their circle.
While these men are great at coaching, what they are teaching them is much bigger than building good basketball players. They are also building young men to have compassion, empathy and understanding , which will undoubtedly be something they can carry with them way beyond their days of basketball.
Thank you 💙💛
Fear Not 