ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Mason Fox, 10, is an All-Star hockey player. He is consistently near the top of his league in goals scored and assists.
But earlier this year, he began to slow down. On the ice, he would pull himself off the shift early.
That’s when his parents took him in for a check-up.
“One night, I was at work, and he wasn’t doing any better. Mom took him into the E.R., and it was about one in the morning they came through with the diagnosis,” Michael Fox, Mason’s father, said.
Mason was eventually diagnosed with B-cell acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.
“In April, I got diagnosed with cancer. It was more of a shock,” Mason said. “When I found out, I wasn’t scared or anything. One of the biggest things going through this is to keep your hopes up and to be positive.”
Since Mason had to take a break from hockey, he began watching Tampa Bay Rays baseball.
“I absolutely love it.”
And he loves the way outfielder Josh Lowe plays that game.
The Rays got word of Mason’s story and invited him to a game to meet Lowe and throw out the first pitch. It’s all part of the Children’s Dream Fund—making dreams come true for children with life-threatening illnesses.
Mason met Lowe on the field, and Lowe offered to sign Mason’s bat and hat.
“I see [Lowe] on TV catching in the outfield with his other outfield buddies out there,” Mason said. “He’s tall. Then I see him in real life, and he’s even taller than I thought.”
Lowe walked back into the Rays clubhouse but came back moments later with a game-used bat and glove, personally used by Lowe.
“You can keep this. This is one of mine,” Lowe said. “This is a glove I don’t need anymore. You can have this, too.”
Mason’s smile said it all.
As for that first pitch, Mason threw a strike and Josh Lowe was there to catch it.
“Never did I think I would be throwing a ball to my favorite Rays player in the stadium,” Mason said.
