Coronavirus shutdowns keep many apart, but brought this MLB pitcher and pediatric cancer patient together

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Coronavirus shutdowns keep many apart, but brought this MLB pitcher and pediatric cancer patient together

Amid coronavirus shutdowns and social distancing rules, a 12-year-old cancer patient gets to virtually meet his role model, Minnesota Twins pitcher, Randy Dobnak.

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These strange times of social distancing, stay-at-home orders, and self-quarantine may be keeping many apart, but they can also bring people together.

Brody is a 12-year-old baseball player and a patient at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital who has been battling acute lymphoblastic leukemia since the age of nine. Randy Dobnak is a pitcher for the Minnesota Twins. A few weeks ago these two baseball players got a chance to meet over video chat and talk about their love of the game.

Dobnak and his wife Aerial first got involved with St. Jude when they asked friends and family to donate to the children’s hospital on their wedding registry. The couple ended up raising over $5,000 for the cause and since then have continued to look for ways to support St. Jude. With the Major League Baseball season postponed indefinitely due to COVID-19, Dobnak found himself with more time on his hands and sought out ways to support children who were struggling with battles of their own.

Minnesota Twins MLB Pitcher Randy Dobnak and his wife, Aerial Dobnak visit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital on Friday, January 31, 2020.

Brody has loved playing and watching baseball since the age of five. Although his favorite team is the Chicago Cubs, he says that Dobnak is one of his favorite MLB players and a personal role model of his.

“I really wanna play [in the] MLB. I really want to be like him, he’s like my role model,” Brody told Fox News.

During their virtual meeting, the Minnesota Twins pitcher shared some key tips with Brody, everything from what to eat before a game--a big breakfast then a small snack right before-- to helpful stretches that won’t interfere with Brody’s chest port.

The two were also able to connect over a youth baseball tournament in Cooperstown, N.Y., which Brody plans on pitching in later this summer. Dobnak shared that he also pitched in that same tournament when he was 12 years old.

“I told him to go play in the game room and definitely eat the ice cream there. So he said he is looking forward to it," Dobnak told Fox News.

Dobnak’s career trajectory to the major leagues was a bumpy one. He said he did not get to where he is now without a lot of fight, determination, and perseverance, three things Brody has shown plenty of in his long battle with cancer.

“His goal to play in the MLB was a little bit like what Brody’s outlook has been with fighting cancer,” Brody’s mom, Lisa, told Fox News.

Lisa said that if all goes according to plan, Brody will be finished with chemotherapy this August, which means he will be free to play baseball whenever he wants.

“He just wants to be a normal, 12-year-old boy,” said Lisa.