In the past few days I have writen a few posts that led to over 200 FB friends insiting I write a book full of some of the inspirational stories I have had the chance to witness in my life. The ink was not even dry when I watched yet another life moment unfold. As I begin to write from my heart, my eyes are filling with tears, but they are good tears for a good reason. This all started just over a year ago when James Conner, scored the winning touchdown vs Notre Dame. For those of you who do not know the NCAA star running back is like my own kid. Now anyone who knows James knows his family is amazing. He had great older brothers who taught him to be strong and to win. His mom Kelly M Patterson Bibbs. is a beautiful kind woman who is James best friend, and the person he could never live without. James father, Glenn Conner, is a kind softspoken, man who does not like attention but who has raised his boys to be as kind, caring and giving , as they are strong. Getting back to what happened after Pitt beat Notre Dame on National TV. It was that night and that game when James Conner, was introduced to the world of College Football. It was on one play when Boradcaster Brent Musburger, announced that the Pitt Panthers have found a big back… everytime he runs the ball it is like Hammer Time! While on the field James proved he was possibly the toughest most phybsical back in all of College Football, yet after the game he showed what he was made of… A Heart of Gold. As the players left the field after the game hundreds of kids were leaning over the wall screaming to James to please throw them his gloves, I watched him look up to them shake their hands and say I am sorry but I promiised these gloves to my little brother Jack, and true to his word James handed Jack his Nike gloves. The gloves that might be the most famous gloves in all of football. You see when James runs the ball he uses what is called a stiff arm where he puts out his hand and all the defender sees is a facefull of NIKE from the glove James is wearing. James hands are known for leading him into the endzone. Now fast forward to the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl. James rushed for 229 yards and was the games MVP, and again his stiff arm and NIKE gloves led the way. After the game there was a little boy from the local Childrens Hospital, he was battling cancer. All he wanted was to meet James Conner and shake his hand, a few memebers of the bowl committee made his wish come true. The next day when James came home, we were sitting in the house talking about the game and that little boy. James was so moved by that little boy and was so worried about how he was battling Cancer. James said that kid wanted so bad to meet me, I wish there was more I could do for him. Thats when we came up with this plan. We decided that during James Sophmore season if there were more kids like this little boy, kids who spend so much of their lives being treated by Childrens Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, that we would give them a pair of James game worn NIKE gloves.The point of giving them his gloves was not just because they belonged to James and were a key part of his success, but to help remind these kids, who are sick and battling life threatening illness, that they are in good hands and not facing this fight alone. They have the hands of their doctors and nurses at Childrens Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, and they have the hands of their families to carry them through their toughest times. Just like James has the hands of everyone of his teammates, coaches and Pitt staff to help him run into the ACC and Pitt record books. This story of James and his amazing hands is far more personal than you might expect. At this point in my life I am in stage 4 Polycystic Kidney disease, my kidneys are dying a slow death. My 17 year old daughter Meghan is in stage 1 Polycystic Kidney Disease. During James senior year at McDowell High School, Meghan was very very sick and spent months at Hamot Hostpital of UPMC, and Childrens Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC. Her time at Hamot was during the football season, and anyone who knows our family knows we love Lake Erie Sunsets. Well while Meghan was in Hamot, which sits on the Presque Isle Bay she was in a room on the southside of the hospital and had no view of the sun setting. Well James the kind hearted person he is, would go visit Meghan with her brother Sean after practice. On those night when the Lake Erie Sunset would fire up in beautiful color, James would carry Meghan from her hospital bed to the kids play room on the other side of the Hospital where they would sit and watch the sun go down. Then James would carry her back to her hospital bed. At that time we never realized she was being carried by the hands that would one day lead James to becoming one of the best NCAA college Football Players ever to play the game. Well on Saturday in the final home game of the 2014 season vs Syracuse, James needed just one TD to tie Tony Dorsetts single season TD record at 22. There was also another kid, a kid who is battling heart disease and has undergone many open heart surgeries at CHP. His one dream wish was to actually meet James Conner.Thanks to a program called Gradys Decision, and the kindness of Yogi Roth, and the entire football staff at Pitt his wish came true. Roman Pfister, from James home town of Erie, PA was Pitts guest. He spent the pre game on the sideline watching James warm up. Roman was also a pre game radio guest for Pitts play-by-play crew Larry Richert, & Pat Bostick. At one point during the pre game while James was in the huddle he looked over and saw Roman smiling ear to ear and holding a football given to him by Ej Borghetti, Pitts associate Athletic Director. James left the huddle and instead of lining up behind Pitts quarterback he came to the sideline got down on a knee and hugged Roman and thanked him for being such a Pitt Fan. James signed his football, took a few pictures, and promised Roman he would score him a Touchdown. In the first quarter he kept his promise and followed his NIKE gloves in to the endzone on a one yard TD run. Not only was that a TD for Roman it was also the touchdown that tied James with Tony Dorsett for most rushing TDs ever by a Pitt Panther. In the second quarter James suffer a slight hip injury and was then sidelined for the game. When he knew he was not returning in the second half he sent his gloves up to the private box Roman and his family were sitting in. With the gloves he sent Roman a message… Roman when you look at my gloves always remember you have the hands of so many great people helping you get well. Always know how special this game was. Not just because Pitt won and James tied another Pitt record, but it was special because Roman Pfister and his family where there to share in this experience!!! Thank you Gradys Decision, thank everyone who made this wish for a little boy come true. Always know having Roman there meant as much to James as tieing Tony Dorsetts record did. God Bless Roman and his Family. God bless all the great Doctors and Nurses at Childrens Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, and thank you for using your hands to make Roman well again! HAIL TO PITT! Pat Bostick, Ej Borghetti, Ryan Smith,
Posted on: Sun, 23 Nov 2014 16:29:04 +0000
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