Today, rounds of a different kind were made. Instead of doctors in white coats, the Seattle Seahawks and members of the Sea Gals, dressed in blue and green, made their way through the hospital to visit patients and families at Seattle Children’s. They couldn’t have picked a better day to bring cheer to 12s in the hospital: Dec. 12 (12/12).
“Today brought us a lot of joy, even if it was just for a minute,” said Alberto Tobias, father of Nico Tobias, a patient at Seattle Children’s. “It was really fun. We were so happy to see the players walk into our room.”
The Captain’s Blitz is an annual tradition that brightens the day for Seahawks fans big and small at Seattle Children’s.
A family of Seahawks fans
Nico, 15, and his family love the Seahawks. According to Nico’s nurse, every game day you can hear the family cheering on their favorite team from their hospital room.
“I don’t think I’ve missed a game,” said Nico.
Seattle Children’s is like a second home for Nico and his family. Nico has been a patient at Seattle Children’s for more than 8 years. His current inpatient stay has been for three months. He’s undergoing treatment for acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
“It was a great break for us,” said Tobias. “We didn’t have to talk about anything medical. We just talked about football, and we could talk about football for hours!”
Nico and his family are hopeful they’ll get to spend their New Year’s Eve at home, watching the Seahawks game. Until then, Nico will continue to cheer on the Seahawks from his hospital bed with his family by his side.
Spreading cheer
The special visit brightened the day for Laauren Tewell. Her 8-week-old son, Cayden, was admitted to Seattle Children’s only a couple hours after he was born.
“It’s been a lot emotionally,” said Tewell. “Having the Seahawks visit really lifted my spirit. It gave me a boost to help get Cayden through this.”
Cayden, whose name means fighter, is just that. He was born with a hole in his abdominal wall and needed surgery shortly after birth. During the visit, he opened his eyes and gave the players and Sea Gals a little wave. Everyone in the room was smiling.
“I can’t wait to show him these photos when he’s older,” said Tewell.
A day of joy
The visit not only meant a lot to patients and families at the hospital, it lifted the spirits of the players as well.
“It makes me happy to put a smile on the kid’s faces,” said Mike Davis, a running back for the Seattle Seahawks. “It meant a lot to be here today. Hopefully, we turned a bad day into a great day for these kids.”
Visits like these make lasting memories for patients and families, and although the players aren’t a part of the medical team, it’s clear they have a major impact on the children they meet.
Go Hawks!
