Terminally ill boy spends the day with Saban & the 'Bama Players
by leebenp on Oct 7, 2010 10:15 AM CDT
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PrintI found this on TideFans and thought it deserved to be shown here:
The little boy pictured is terminally ill and has a very short period of time to live. The illness has also recently caused him to go blind.
A cold call was made to the University of Alabama and after verification that the story was true a meeting was set up with the team, the boy and his family. I was told they spent 5 hours with the boy and toured the whole facility and that the players stayed with him the whole time.
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How did you post the pics without an URL? or did you have one?
"It's not the size of the cat in the fight, it's size of the fight in the cat"
I grabbed the image location from each pic
then I used this code:
?img src= “http: ”http://www.image.com" target="_blank">www.image.com" /?
you just replace the ? /? with < />
Come again?
Are you saying this is how I would post an image already saved in My Pictures or where ever on my computer? Seems like there ought to be an easier way.
Being good has nothing to do with it, Mikey. They choose your name randomly out of the phonebook.
by Mr. Kobayashi on Oct 8, 2010 8:47 AM CDT up reply actions
Come again?
Are you saying this is how I would post an image already saved in My Pictures or where ever on my computer? Seems like there ought to be an easier way.
Being good has nothing to do with it, Mikey. They choose your name randomly out of the phonebook.
by Mr. Kobayashi on Oct 8, 2010 8:47 AM CDT up reply actions
Okay, something just failed.
Being good has nothing to do with it, Mikey. They choose your name randomly out of the phonebook.
by Mr. Kobayashi on Oct 8, 2010 8:49 AM CDT up reply actions
God bless this young man and his family.
I could not imagine having this news about my child. Hopefully, the Tide players and Saban took their mind off of it for just a little while.
ROLL TIDE ROLL!!!
That desk picture just breaks my heart...
by Queen of the Universe on Oct 7, 2010 10:31 AM CDT reply actions
Agree
I have penis sweat coming from my visual organs.
"Orators are most vehement when their cause is weak" Marcus Tullius Cicero
by Stuck in the Plains on Oct 8, 2010 3:06 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions
See below...
I am hardened to many, many things. But the suffering and/or death of children absolutely does me in. I can’t even fathom what the parents are going through. When my sister died, my mother aged about two decades in two weeks.
What absolutely broke my heart was seeing him sitting at the desk, wearing the hat, playing grown-up. Then the gravity of it hit me that this child will never get to be a grown up with a career, and it just killed me. Begin the waterworks.
"Orators are most vehement when their cause is weak" Marcus Tullius Cicero
by Stuck in the Plains on Oct 8, 2010 10:26 AM CDT up reply actions
That's exactly what I meant...
…bless his heart, he’ll never be big enough to fill that chair.
And you juxtapose that with all the healthy, strapping ball players that go in and out of that office all the time…knowing that kids like mine watch those boys dreaming of playing like them someday and that the one sweet baby in that picture never will…oh, it kills me. I cannot take it when bad things happen to little kids.
And, however you express yourself, everyone knows your heart is in the right place.
by Queen of the Universe on Oct 9, 2010 12:59 AM CDT up reply actions
If you meant to post that,
totally inappropriate. Here’s hoping your phone autocorrect got the best of you, though it’s still disturbing to think you use the word so much your phone randomly supplies it. I need to go wash my brain.
"Let's go be champions, boys!" - Greg McElroy
(Formerly SugarBowl93)
by RememberTheRoseBowl on Oct 8, 2010 9:03 AM CDT up reply actions
it's a long-standiong euphymism for man tears
Because that was the first time in a very, very long time I have actually cried.
"Orators are most vehement when their cause is weak" Marcus Tullius Cicero
by Stuck in the Plains on Oct 8, 2010 10:21 AM CDT up reply actions
I'll take your word for it.
I really don’t care to see what google pulls up besides dictionary definitions, so fact check it I will not. There are SO many other ways it could have been said, though, such as what you just wrote (which was quite touching and brought no disturbing images to mind). I just don’t think the mental image that brings to mind (whether one is familiar with the euphemism or not) is appropriate for what is being discussed here.
I know your heart broke for the kid though, and I respect that.
"Let's go be champions, boys!" - Greg McElroy
(Formerly SugarBowl93)
by RememberTheRoseBowl on Oct 8, 2010 11:07 AM CDT up reply actions
Wasted promise...
Like 1/2 the folks here, I have a kid, and I think every day about the milestones that her life holds, and the endless possibilities and decisions and involutions that her journey will take her on. The older I get, the more that I understand exactly the promise of youth and childhood, and so I try not to forget that expanse of “what if” and boundless excitement about the future that dominates kids’ lives.
Terminally ill children, dealing with things that most of us couldn’t even fathom, know that there is no promise of tomorrow, and have to live in today. It has to be isolating and even more frightening than with adults. To see that existential reality in the faces of kids pains me to no end….my poor phrasing to the contrary.
"Orators are most vehement when their cause is weak" Marcus Tullius Cicero
by Stuck in the Plains on Oct 8, 2010 11:17 AM CDT up reply actions 3 recs
Rec'd.
"Let's go be champions, boys!" - Greg McElroy
(Formerly SugarBowl93)
by RememberTheRoseBowl on Oct 8, 2010 12:04 PM CDT up reply actions
Awesome. Especially since I'm a dad.
RBR's King of Hip-Hop...
by SpockJenkins on Oct 8, 2010 12:40 PM CDT up reply actions
Reminds me of the story I linked a while back about Stallings and a handicapped child.
This kinda thing really helps put a person’s own troubles in perspective.
"Those are just facts and facts are just opinions and opinions can be wrong"
-Veronica, Better Off Ted
I hate getting choked up at work...
God Bless this boy and his family as well as Nick, Mark, Julio and therest of the team.
"...we have not seen anything what we think they can do when there so menny thing we have not seen out of this team, we will seen a lot more in this game buyt still not all." - RBR forum sage, sburton305.
Did the same thing, Ubammer
Now remember, when things look bad and it looks like you're not gonna make it, then you gotta get mean. I mean plumb, mad-dog mean. 'Cause if you lose your head and you give up then you neither live nor win. That's just the way it is. - Josey Wales
by The GTO Judge on Oct 7, 2010 11:45 AM CDT up reply actions
Ditto.
And I made sure everyone here at my work saw it too. It chocked them up and impressed them too.
by BamaGirlinDallas on Oct 7, 2010 11:48 AM CDT up reply actions
Similar to..
that story last year about the kid that is a USC fan and Pete Carrol would bring him to practice and meetings and stuff. He lost his eyes, and they kept bringing him back so he could hear practice. Every school should have a story like this every year. Its just good for everyone.
Good job UA.
by Fla Tide on Oct 7, 2010 10:55 AM CDT reply actions 1 recs
Tough one there...
Can’t think of anything worse than having a child that was dying.
Did anyone notice the “EASY” button on Saban’s desk. That is pretty funny.
by jjdrumz on Oct 7, 2010 10:55 AM CDT reply actions 1 recs
That EASY button
is the very embodiment of irony. Somebody call Alanis. Having an EASY button on Saban’s desk is like having a clock on Les Miles’ desk.
by loxodonta tuscaloosa on Oct 7, 2010 11:18 AM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Thanks just turned my tears to laughter
Now remember, when things look bad and it looks like you're not gonna make it, then you gotta get mean. I mean plumb, mad-dog mean. 'Cause if you lose your head and you give up then you neither live nor win. That's just the way it is. - Josey Wales
by The GTO Judge on Oct 7, 2010 11:45 AM CDT up reply actions
Scott Cochran smashed his easy button into a million pieces.
"...we have not seen anything what we think they can do when there so menny thing we have not seen out of this team, we will seen a lot more in this game buyt still not all." - RBR forum sage, sburton305.
Ummmm...
I have a “Bullshit Button” that looks just like that on my desk.
"...we have not seen anything what we think they can do when there so menny thing we have not seen out of this team, we will seen a lot more in this game buyt still not all." - RBR forum sage, sburton305.
Poor kid.
I feel bad for him. Glad he got to do something like this. I’m sure the players/coaches/etc got something out of the visit as well.
"I have tried to teach them to show class, to have pride, and to display character. I think football, winning games, takes care of itself if you do that." -Paul W. Bryant
Five hours?
Wow. We talk a lot about how Coach Saban “doesn’t have time for this shit” – but this he has time for. I think it’s time to send Rita Rodriguez another thank-you note. We got the right guy.
by loxodonta tuscaloosa on Oct 7, 2010 11:23 AM CDT reply actions 2 recs
Make it +2
All the national media loves to talk about what a heartless SOB that Coach Saban is, but we know the absolute truth – that he is an honest, caring, humble man who knows what is right and consistently does the right thing…….I’m sure the clay travis’s and dan leretard’s of the world would never report anything like this, but I don’t care……..Coach Saban cares about people, cares about our players as more than just athletes, and does so much for underpriveledged people that nobody ever hears about…….Coach Bryant used to do things like this – there are many similarities between the two, and the fact that our Coach sees to it that this young man got the thrill of his life just makes me so proud to have him represent our University…….and notice too that he does these things without having press around so it can be a photo op – he truly does it because he is that good of a person…….and just think of the perspective and life lesson that it provides to the young men who are part of our program…….I mean, if you are a parent of a football recruit, how could you not want your child to be around Coach Saban…….he will make them successful in every part of their life, and teach them how to be men: good, hard-working men with integrity and accountability………I was so happy when Coach Saban agreed to be our coach at the University of Alabama, and not a single day goes by where I do not find another reason why, in every single way, that he is without a doubt the finest coach in college football and more than that, a man who seems custom built in every single way to be the coach at Alabama……..
by p3bhambama on Oct 8, 2010 12:24 AM CDT up reply actions 2 recs
Outstanding and so very well put...."the Process" ...
is living.
"...because you've got your mind right, and that's the way we like it." Nick Saban
nick satan is such a cruel and exploitative jerk
i cant believe he gets away with this kind of stuff. i’m emailing brian cook about this one…
The beauty of The Process is that you have never arrived, so you get to continue being perpetually awesome... -Espyonage
by tempebamafan on Oct 7, 2010 11:44 AM CDT reply actions 1 recs
Touching.
Bless that boy’s heart. I’m so grateful to be a fan of a team with such big hearts. I hope the trip was everything he wanted it to be.
Kevin Elko
This is what he is referring to when he speaks to realigning ourselves with reality. Saban has it preached and he practices it
"It's not the size of the cat in the fight, it's size of the fight in the cat"
hope everyone links this to your facebook page
more people need to know we are about much more than football
"You have to create 6 seconds of hell each play..."
Coach Nick Saban
Great idea!
I am doing that right now!
by BamaGirlinDallas on Oct 7, 2010 11:53 AM CDT up reply actions
Just did it Lilsis
Now remember, when things look bad and it looks like you're not gonna make it, then you gotta get mean. I mean plumb, mad-dog mean. 'Cause if you lose your head and you give up then you neither live nor win. That's just the way it is. - Josey Wales
by The GTO Judge on Oct 7, 2010 11:54 AM CDT up reply actions
done and done
I have a lot of Facebook friends who extol the “virtues” of their chosen teams, but this is in a whole different class.
Fight on, men.
Too all the people who think Saban is a jerk (see above)
Coach Saban is a class act people confuse his no-nonsense approach to football with that of being an arrogant heartless jerk. The fact of the matter is he has a heart of gold and does care about the lives of his team and of the fans as well. I love the pictures of Mark and Julio with the kid. I just wish the kid could have seen the smiles on Saban and Co.s faces. This does a heart good and makes me awful proud to be an Alumni and Fan of the University of Alabama. God Bless them all.
Now remember, when things look bad and it looks like you're not gonna make it, then you gotta get mean. I mean plumb, mad-dog mean. 'Cause if you lose your head and you give up then you neither live nor win. That's just the way it is. - Josey Wales
Even though he can't see them...he still can see them.
"It's not the size of the cat in the fight, it's size of the fight in the cat"
You are right
I feel that way about Stevie Wonder. How can a blind man have such beautiful vision in his songs? When I listen to "Summer Soft." I can see those trees and feel the wind. It is just so amazing. I’m sure that this will be a memory that will help this kid through the tough times ahead. This really puts perspective on our lives and how precious they are.
Now remember, when things look bad and it looks like you're not gonna make it, then you gotta get mean. I mean plumb, mad-dog mean. 'Cause if you lose your head and you give up then you neither live nor win. That's just the way it is. - Josey Wales
by The GTO Judge on Oct 7, 2010 1:35 PM CDT up reply actions
I echo what everyone is saying.
I am so proud to be a fan of a team and coach that made a little boy’s dreams come true. What an awesome day he must have had! It looks like they taped him up for a game and man did you see the size of those rings on his little fingers?! I think it is awesome the way they took his vision loss into account and found other ways for him to “see” everything. Bravo guys and God bless you and your family little man! I hope that this was a bright spot in your day!
by BamaGirlinDallas on Oct 7, 2010 11:53 AM CDT reply actions
Can someone send me the pics to my e-mail?
The Gov computer will not allow me to see them, even if I go to the link. My e-mail addy is attached to my SBN profile.
" I should keep my words soft and sweet in case I have to eat them."
done
"Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen." - Sir Winston Churchill
by twominutedrill on Oct 7, 2010 1:01 PM CDT up reply actions
What an awesome thing for Coach and the team to do...
that story made me tear up, and prouder than ever to be a Bama fan.
ItZ THA STAIROIDZ
"Fortune, as they call her, is a drunken and capricious woman and, worse still, blind; and so she doesn’t see what she’s doing, and doesn’t know whom she is casting down or raising up." - Les Miles
by Thomas Walker Esq on Oct 7, 2010 5:49 PM CDT up reply actions
Tip of the Hat
To UA athletic, dept, coaches, and players.
"Jay Jacobs can't go to the bathroom without Bobby Lowder's permission" - Paul Finebaum
It's not just this special boy
My wife contacted the football program for her patient who has a spinal cord injury. They invited her patient to practice where they also had the same VIP experience. They actually went yesterday. The whole program is class act and caring for those less fortunate.
"I reject your reality and substitute my own!"
-Adam Savage
oops
That last sentence should read “The whole program is a class act at caring for those less fortunate.”
(My wife actually posted that under my account…I think it’s time for her to get her own since she’s been lurking here forever.)
"I reject your reality and substitute my own!"
-Adam Savage
i can give you the passwords for Cap'n's Obvious and Oblivious if you like
i was able to convince one of them to share em with me…
In an industrial society which confuses work and productivity, the necessity of producing has always been an enemy of the desire to create. - Raoul Vaneigem
take this job and shove it - Johnny Paycheck
by tempebamafan on Oct 7, 2010 11:59 PM CDT up reply actions
That is awesome. I'm not a religious man but good deeds are good deeds and MAD respect for everyone involved.
I hope that kid could feel it in his heart that the world is beautiful and you don’t have to see it with your eyes to realize that. I hope he gets more visits with the team for as long as he can.
RBR's King of Hip-Hop...
Thank you
for sharing this. It is incredibly sad to hear but also makes me feel good about the guys i pull for on saturdays. I’ll be sharing this with all of my friends and family.
"In the second quarter, I saw Torretta look over at me, and he froze for a second. I saw fear." -- DE John Copeland
by The Cornerstone on Oct 7, 2010 1:59 PM CDT via mobile reply actions
People
can say all they want about a coach or organization, but when it comes down to it, its the great ones who set themselves apart with the finest display of humanity. I’m sad to say that I cannot remember the last time I spent 5 hours(2 football games) worth of times to make someones last days just a little brighter.
can't rec this post enough
thanks for this
"Fortune, as they call her, is a drunken and capricious woman and, worse still, blind; and so she doesn’t see what she’s doing, and doesn’t know whom she is casting down or raising up." - Les Miles
by Thomas Walker Esq on Oct 7, 2010 5:49 PM CDT reply actions
Saban looks so relaxed and happy
to be chilling with this guy. :)) Special moments.
"I never did give anybody hell. I just told the truth and they thought it was
hell."
- Harry S Truman
Thanks for sharing this.
Nice reminder of what’s important.
"There's no substitute for guts."
http://www.soundcheckmama.com
What a wonderful thing to do for that little boy.
I think I just got something in my eye.
The Tide has just begun to take your fuckin life!
This is also a big part
of “The Process”. You don’t get the mega-media blitz for it, simply because the end result doesn’t wind up on a stat sheet. This child’s life has been wrenched from his grasp by forces unknown to him. There are no words to describe the strength this child has within him. His visit to the team is a blessing within itself. There are so many things people can draw inspiration from. This little guy’s struggle, and bravery, should be enough to touch anyone. God bless him , his family, and the University for opening their hearts.
"...because you've got your mind right, and that's the way we like it." Nick Saban
I thought I would add that this kid is doing a lot of game planning!
Did you look at the pile of papers on Coach Saban’s desk. This is the type of clutter that brings home #14. Again this is a great article and I hope a miracle happens for this child. I won’t go religous but I know the Big Guy is taking care of him. It is just strange how he works. Even after a bad day this just brings what is important in life into focus.
Now remember, when things look bad and it looks like you're not gonna make it, then you gotta get mean. I mean plumb, mad-dog mean. 'Cause if you lose your head and you give up then you neither live nor win. That's just the way it is. - Josey Wales
Gr
"Orators are most vehement when their cause is weak" Marcus Tullius Cicero
by Stuck in the Plains on Oct 8, 2010 3:10 AM CDT via mobile reply actions
Fail on mobile.
Would someone rec this for me? Net is down and 3G has no ‘rec’ feature.
"Orators are most vehement when their cause is weak" Marcus Tullius Cicero
by Stuck in the Plains on Oct 8, 2010 3:11 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions
I never payed attention to A$$ holes who talks bad about Saban.
Good Job Alabama Crimson Tide!!!!!
I like the Office pic and the pic with the Rings….
FEAR THE SPEAR!!!!!!!!!
This really hit home with me!!!
I am sitting here crying right now looking at the pictures. Man, this really is emotional for me. I have cancer myself and two different Doctors told me I have 6 months, to go an eat what I want and do what I want and enjoy what time I have left. They can’t do that!!!!! Only the “Great Almighty” can tell me that. This story and these pictures make me feel so good about “our players and our Coach” God Bless EVERYONE!!!
James Craig Moore
Whoa man! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE stay safe and keep us informed. RBR heads gotta stick together.
RBR's King of Hip-Hop...
EVery Moment
counts now. No one can tell you how to exit this world except you. If you have lived your life right, food and drink means nothing to you.
Happiness is all important and every moment is important now. Stay content. Visit your family. Contact anyone you need to contact and make amends.
Die with dignity, even if you have not lived with it. Die with class and hold your head high and leave this world on top, being there for your loved ones and allowing them to say goodbye.
Hang on my man...
My first year of law school, some 7-8 years ago, I was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. Pegged me at about 40% chance of making it a year. 8 years later, I’m here and kicking and being an ornery SOB. Fight for it, and we wish you the best.
"Orators are most vehement when their cause is weak" Marcus Tullius Cicero
by Stuck in the Plains on Oct 13, 2010 6:56 PM CDT up reply actions
I was born in Baton Rouge and will be a LSU fan till I die..
but I have to say, that is badass. Way to go Coach Saban and Bama football team. Very cool thing you did for that kid.
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