Jon Lester wants to strike out pediatric cancer
Red Sox pitcher and cancer survivor goes to bat for kids diagnosed with cancer
Boston Red Sox ace Jon Lester made another pitch – this time for prayers – for a little California boy and fellow cancer survivor whose cause he’s championed for the last year.
Lester, whose charity work with the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation brought him into contact with Zein Youssef, 7, made his Twitter appeal Monday after learning the boy must undergo brain surgery.
“My buddy Zein is set for a tough surgery tomorrow, please join me in keeping him in your thoughts and prayers!” the lefty tweeted.
Although Zein’s family had believed he had made a miraculous recovery, they recently learned that he had a tumor on his brain.
Zein formed an emotional bond with Lester prior to his team’s World Series championship last fall. The brave little boy was on the lefthander's mind as he took to the mound, and even Fox broadcasters Joe Buck, Tim McCarver and Ken Rosenthal saluted the hurler for his work on behalf of the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation and showed the picture that Lester had tweeted out several days before.
The pair first met last August, before the Red Sox took the field against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Lester met Zein as part of his effort to comfort and inspire young patients and their families before games all over the country as part of Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation's NEVER QUIT program.
Zein asked Lester if cancer was "hard," and Lester told the truth.
"Yes, it is hard," he said. "But at the end, it is all worth it."
Don Fair is coordinating producer for Fox News Channel, Los Angeles.