6-year-old cancer survivor, Rhylan Lopata made heads turn when he walked out as an official Kansas City Royals member on a game day held late last month at Kauffman Stadium. A one day contract opportunity that swung in due to the Missouri Make-A-Wish, a non-profit organization started in the United States that helps children impacted with life-threatening medical conditions to reach their dreams.
Rhylan was diagnosed with stage 3b Hodgkins Lymphoma, a rare disease that impacts a person’s lymphatic system which includes the neck and armpits.
Treatments for this include radiation and chemotherapy, the Mayo Clinic said.
In this must see video, the general manager of the team, Dayton Moore speaks about his facilitation in giving the young one a 24-hour contract. Saying, “we would like to sign you with the Kansas City Royals you up for that?”
Then after the child responds, Moore says, “lets do it,” and places an official jersey with Lopata and the number 3 on it.
In an interview with the Kansas City Star about the cancer survivor, Moore said, “It’s a special blessing to be able to use whatever role you have in the game as a platform to help others.”
Eric Hosmer met 6-year-old Rhylan Lopata as part of a Make-A-Wish event. pic.twitter.com/eXhCCAnyXw
— Pete Grathoff (@pgrathoff) September 29, 2016
Earlier this spring, the GM spoke out about his faith and journey to the Royals, ten years after his first season in an interview with the Kansas City Star.
The story titled, “Royals general manager Dayton Moore is driven by an unyielding faith” he discusses his pivotal conversation with the Braves team chaplain, Tim Cash, who said, “I told Dayton: ‘You were born an original,’ ” Cash says now. “You don’t want to die a copy. God has gifted you with so much leadership.”
As the talk continued, Cash says he quoted a Bible verse: 2 Timothy 1:7.
“For God did not give us a spirit of fear,” Cash says, “but of power and love and self control.”
Now, a decade in, he explains how faith has provided him with foundation.
Saying to The Kansas City Star, “My faith has given me the foundation to persevere through all that,” Moore says. “It just has. I’ve got one authority. And my authority tells me I’m in process, that I’m trying to get better each and every day. But it demands that I give my best effort. My faith really provides me with the necessary foundation.”
What awesome words to live by.