Anthony Rizzo Pens Heartfelt Letter, Donates $2,500 to Young Cancer Patient

Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo has a long-standing reputation for reaching out to children who are battling cancer, and over the weekend a story emerged of just how big-hearted the big league star can be.

Earlier this month, the family of Iowa resident Parker Hopkins started a Facebook page called “Parker Strong” to document the youngster’s battle with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Parker is just 22 months old, but as he begins his fight against cancer, he has a very powerful ally, as Rizzo sent the family a letter detailing his own battle with the disease.

"Well I'm not sure if you know my story, but when I was 18, and in my first year of professional baseball, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma," the letter read. "This was the scariest time of my life. I too had to face this tough thing in my life with courage. All that I can say is that every day I stayed as positive as possible so that everyone around me, especially my family, did not worry about how I was feeling. I believe that by staying positive, I actually felt better and ultimately won my battle against cancer. I know that you too can do the same."

Here is a full copy of that letter:

Rizzo not only pledged his support for the family at this difficult time, but he also put his money where his mouth was, as his foundation donated $2,500 to the Hopkins clan.

Ever since his own battle with cancer when he was first breaking into baseball, Rizzo has made it a point to reach out to families and cancer patients throughout the country. He routinely visits kids at Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago, and he’s also made other donations and sent letters to patients dealing with cancer diagnoses.

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