Odell Beckham Jr. made one ailing child’s dream come true over the weekend.
On July 17, a radio DJ in Amarillo, Texas named Tommy Lee reached out to the New York Giants wide receiver in a Facebook post. In the post, Lee pleaded Beckham to come meet a 9-year-old boy named Jayro Ponce who is fighting cancer (a malignant rhabdoid tumor) and whose “hero” is Beckham, and included a picture of him and Ponce.
“We hope you see this and can find it within your heart to reach out to this young man who is battling for his life, and is now at the Ronald McDonald House in Amarillo, Texas…,” Lee’s post began. “His name is Jayro and is a hero to many of us here in Amarillo, but Odell Beckham you are a hero to Jayro. Can you please reach out to Jayro and fulfill one of his dreams. Thank You from everyone here in Amarillo,Texas!”
Danny Richburg — the father of former Giants center Weston Richburg — noticed Lee’s post and jumped on Twitter to contact Beckham and attempt to set up a visit as part of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The facility in Amarillo, Texas where Ponce is being treated is just a few miles from the Richburgs’ hometown of Bushland. Beckham responded to Richburg on Twitter one day later, on July 18, saying “How could I make it happen?”
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Weston Richburg visited Ponce earlier this year, and learned then that Beckham was the boy’s favorite player.
Beckham eventually visited Ponce on Saturday after coordinating the trip with Make-A-Wish and took photos with the boy’s family:
“We were blessed to spend time with this amazing soul and his friend! There’s no words for this experience,” Team Jayro wrote on FaceBook. “Jayro enjoyed this experience to the fullest. Thank you Make A Wish!”
Team Jayro shirts are available to raise money to help fund the family’s medical and travel expenses.
This is not the first time Beckham has worked with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The Giants wideout wore cleats with the organization’s name on them during a game last season, and has regularly spent time with sick children before games.
Beckham has been spending his offseason in Los Angeles. The Giants’ training camp begins on Friday, with players expected to report by Thursday. Beckham is set to attend.
Giants quarterback Eli Manning has also worked with several hospitals around the country over the years to raise money for a cause entitled Tackle Kids Cancer.
CLEVELAND, OH – NOVEMBER 27: Odell Beckham #13 of the New York Giants avoids a tackle by Derrick Kindred #30 of the Cleveland Browns during the fourth quarter at FirstEnergy Stadium on November 27, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
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