CLEARWATER, Fla. — Five-year-old Bradley Wombles has the fight of a hockey player. He was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis shortly after birth.
Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease that primarily affects the lungs and the pancreas. One of the side effects is mucus and bacteria buildup in the lungs, which makes breathing extremely difficult.
Bradley's parents, Bryant and Juliane, took him to a Lightning game in January. Before they left their Crawfordville home, Bradley made a sign that said, "I Fight Cystic Fibrosis Like Big Rig Fights Other Players."
Lightning forward Pat Maroon is nicknamed "Big Rig" for his 6'3," 245-pound frame and his rough-and-tough style of play.
Maroon saw a tweet of the sign and made his way over to the Wombles to give Bradley a signed stick during pregame warm-ups.
After the game, Maroon invited Bradley's family back for another game in April.
"[Bradley] got to drive the Zamboni," Bryant laughed when recalling the VIP experience. "Pat told him as we were finishing up meeting him before the game that if he scored that night, he’d give him the puck."
Maroon, who isn't known for his prolific scoring ability, netted a goal in the third period of a 6-2 win over Nashville.
Bradley's daily routine consists of multiple medications and breathing treatments that include a machine used to help break up mucus buildup in his lungs.
It certainly isn't fun for a child, but it's a lot better when he gets to watch his favorite team at the same time.
"It inspires him to fight. He gets so excited to watch them," Bryant said. "A lot of times, his nighttime treatment ends up falling during game time. So he gets to sit there and watch the Bolts while he’s doing his treatment."
Juliane has made it her personal mission to join the fight against cystic fibrosis. That involves raising awareness and money, which she said wasn't always her specialty.
"I’ve never been a person that likes to fundraise," Juliane joked. "All through high school, I was never one, but when it’s your kid, you take a different perspective."
Juliane has used Facebook and Twitter to help spread the message about moving toward a cure for CF.
"I’ve started going to town over social media. Trying to share and get donations. Anything I can do to help money come in to hopefully help us one day find that cure," she said.
The Wombles connected with another huge Lightning fan, Matt Shapiro, via Twitter. Shapiro owns 1771 Designs, where he designs, prints, and distributes specialty t-shirts themed around Tampa Bay Area teams.
The two sides decided to put their heads together and sell a shirt to raise money and drive awareness.
"I love creating the shirts. I love seeing my shirts out there. I love people wearing my shirts," Shapiro said. "But, I need something more. This is my 'more.' This is how I can feel like I’m making a little bit of an impact on the community."
The design is based on Maroon's shirtless, scarf-wearing, fedora hat-featuring look during the Lightning's Stanley Cup championship boat parades.
Bradley successfully pulled off the look for this year's Halloween costume, all the way down to Maroon's full beard.
The shirt also includes the phrase "Win, and all that stuff," a message included in a video Bradley sent the Lightning to wish them good luck before this season.
"I’m trying to use it to help spread the hockey love, the Tampa Bay love," Shapiro added. "And also raise awareness for those who may not be seen or may not be heard."
Bryant and Juliane first met via Twitter, and they're happy to see social media utilized for even more positive outcomes.
"They may be on the other side of the world. They may be just down the street. But it’s brought so many people together," Bryant said. "When you use the good in it, there’s a lot of blessing that can come from that."
The #BradleyBattleBuddies t-shirts are available here. All proceeds from the shirts will go to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
