RIZZO’S BIGGEST WIN
Cubs star cries as he donates $ 3.5M to Lurie Children’s Hospital
Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo got emotional after signing and presenting a $ 3.5 million check from his family’s foundation to Lurie Children’s Hospital on Tuesday.
“To be able to give back and do this type of work is so much bigger than winning a World Series,” Rizzo said after choking back tears.
A smile didn’t leave Rizzo’s face since he was greeted off the elevator by nearly 20 patients and their families in the hallway with signs that read: “Thank you, Rizzo!” and “Thanks for being our Champ!”
Rizzo, who is a lymphoma survivor, pulled the paper covering a mural and his Cubs jersey signed by patients on the walls of Lurie’s 18th- floor waiting room named in his honor.
“Wow, this is amazing,” were the only words Rizzo could say as his parents and fiancee joined him.
“This means a lot to me,” a teary- eyed Rizzo said after seeing the waiting room for the first time. “I remember sitting with my mom saying we were going to do this 10 years ago. And you know, this is just a little step in our mission.”
Rizzo has since donated $ 4 million to the children’s hospital over his six- year career with the Cubs.
Rizzo was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma when he was 18 and a minor league player in the Boston Red Sox farm system. He underwent six months of chemotherapy at a local hospital in Boston.
Rizzo, now 28, has been in remission since 2008. His family’s foundation, Hope 44, has made it a priority to donate money to cancer research and help families pay for medical bills.
Rizzo is also a frequent visitor to Lurie’s. He visits nearly every month but doesn’t tell the media when he’s coming so he’s not distracted when he visits the children in their individual rooms.
Matthew Erickson is one of the many kids who has developed a relationship with Rizzo over the years.
Rizzo first met Matthew when he was 10 months old, and Matthew’s mom, Sue, said the two immediately clicked.
Matthew, who was diagnosed with a Stage 4 brain tumor at 4 days old and doctors didn’t believe he would survive, hugged Rizzo after he picked him up to take a picture. The energetic 5- year- old, who started kindergarten on Monday and celebrated five years off of treatment last week, couldn’t stop smiling the entire morning.
“Anthony as the baseball player, he’s amazing. He’s an All- Star first baseman; he’s a World Series champ. He’s all of those things,” Sue said. “But for all the kids and families in the hospital, all the ones that Anthony has touched, he’s far more than that. He’s someone our kids can look up to. He gives us hope. He lets us know that even when times are tough, they’re going to get better.”
Erickson also said that Rizzo’s foundations have helped her pay Matthew’s medical bills and the family’s mortgage on their house when they couldn’t make payments at one point. Erickson also said the Rizzos sent her and her three kids to Disney World last summer for a family vacation.
“His family means the world to us,” Erickson said.
“I REMEMBER SITTING WITH MY MOM SAYING WE WERE GOING TO DO THIS 10 YEARS AGO. AND YOU KNOW, THIS IS JUST A LITTLE STEP IN OUR MISSION.” ANTHONY RIZZO