MESA, AZ — Some young Chicago Cubs fans traded in their cold windy weather for some Arizona sunshine thanks to children's hospitals.
When the Cubs won it all in a dramatic game seven in 2016, Cubs superfan Gage Webber woke up the next morning in disbelief.
“No way,” he said when asked what his reaction was to the final out.
Fast forward a few years and now the 11-year-old is trading viper sunglasses with major leaguers during Cubs spring training.
Finding out he’d get to be in Mesa for the start of the 2023 season may have been more exciting than winning a World Series.
“It was definitely more than a ‘no way,’ it was like a ‘no way, no way!’” he said.
Webber was one of three fans from the Chicago area who got a chance to spend more time with the Cubs and less time in the hospital.
They go to meet people like David Ross, a manager and World Series champion, and starting pitcher Marcus Stroman.
The care team at Advocate Children’s Hospital organized the trip to Mesa which included airfare, lodging in ‘Wrigleyville West’, and tickets to the first spring training game against the San Francisco Giants on Saturday.
15-year-old Gael Munoz, 17-year-old Daniella Castro, and 11-year-old Webber were able to bring their families along with them.
After Stroman showed Webber how he gets movement on his slider, the aspiring big leaguer got in the cage and took a few hacks in front of several other major league sluggers like recent World Series Champion, Trey Mancini.
Webber made hard contact on all the pitches that came across the plate. You’d never know he was born with a heart defect that needed multiple surgeries.
Munoz has been battling a brain tumor that he says has impacted his vision. He’s been able to watch his Cubs during chemotherapy treatment.
“Feels good honestly to stop thinking about that and start thinking about other things,” said Munoz.
Castro has been managing a form of leukemia for the past two years. The condition took away her spot on the varsity cheerleading squad, she said. Shortly after she landed in Arizona, a Cubs player told her she was an inspiration to him.
“I’ve been through a lot and my journey has been tough but I never thought of myself as an inspiration to other people,” said Castro.
All three got a chance to warm up with the team, run the bases, get as many autographs as there is space to sign and smile big for lots of unforgettable photos.
Families of three patients at Advocate Children’s Hospital in Milwaukee were also flown into Arizona to watch their Milwaukee Brewers in Phoenix.
Advocate Children’s pediatrician Dr. Markeita Moore says sometimes healing goes beyond medication and surgeries.
“These trips are healing because they get to have fun, which create memories and create laughter which we know is good for the soul,” said Dr. Moore.