Wednesday marked a special send-off for three young hospital patients, as they left Chicago for Mesa, Ariz. to see the Chicago Cubs at spring training.
Bria, Jonathan and Ian are all patients at Advocate Children’s Hospital.
Wednesday morning, all three and their families boarded an American Airlines flight to Mesa, Arizona for an all-expenses paid trip to Cubs spring training.
The children and their families will spend three days as VIPs, meeting Cubs players, getting an all-access day at Sloan Park, watching the Cubs take on the Chicago White Sox on Friday and more.
Bria Schmidt is a 16-year-old Hodgkin’s lymphoma patient from Mount Prospect.
“I never thought this would happen,” she said. “It is a dream come true.”
Her parents and grandparents are going on the trip with them.
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Jonathan Slota is a 15-year-old Hodgkin’s patient from Portage Park who has been playing baseball since he was just 8 years old.
“It was exciting when I found out,” he said. “I still cannot believe it.”
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Ian Slager is 11, and is a baseball-loving heart patient from Monee.
“it is so nice to see that others recognize what he has been through and how amazing he is – he deserves it,” his mother told NBC Chicago.
“This really is giving them a break from all the tests and white coats,” she said. “They can have some fun, do something a little different.”
This is the is the sixth year that Advocate Children’s Hospital, American Airlines and the Cubs have teamed up to help these kids get back to being kids.
