This is "Lucky Week", as we shine a spotlight on a 5 year old Cubs fan, Lucky McMahon, who has undergone significant health issues in his short life. Today, we will visit Wrigley Field with Lucky.
Lucky has been healthy enough to visit Wrigley Field several times. Even though it's a long drive from his hometown of Decatur, he and his parents have been able to make the trip at least once a year for the last few years. For a fan with as many special needs as Lucky, I'm thrilled that he's gotten the chance to visit baseball paradise. Hopefully the season can get back underway and he will be able to go again this year!
Lucky went to the Cubs and Brewers tiebreaker game in 2018. While the game didn't exactly end well for Cubs fans, Lucky and his family had a wonderful time. It was a super exciting and tense game. The game was made more special when Lucky was able to go onto the field with several other kids before the game. Parents weren't allowed, but given Lucky's disabilities, Lucky's mom, Paula was able to join him. An usher even grabbed him a game used baseball, which now sits in Lucky's Cubs shrine.
Lucky's favorite ballpark food were the snow cones. Wrigley's accessibility seating is right by the concessions, which made things easier for them to be taken care of throughout the game. It's great to hear that some of the renovations have helped those fans with special needs, and made for some very special memories for a very special little guy.
Hopefully, someday, Lucky can get back to Wrigley Field to sing the 7th inning stretch. He did a fantastic job in a practice run:
I'm really happy that Lucky has made it to Wrigley Field. When I first came across his story, I assumed that he probably had not, between living in Decatur and all of his health issues. Living in the suburbs, it can be an annoying commute into the city to see a game, but I still go there a couple times a year. It's easy to take it for granted; there are many Cubs fans who have only seen Wrigley on TV, which does not do it justice at all.
Like many of us, Lucky loves baseball. It's a distraction from the stresses of daily life, which for Lucky, is his constant health battle. Sports give us hope in times when we might need it. Baseball might seem like a silly game to some, but it's a way of life for others. Baseball is the thing that gives Lucky joy, daily. Whether it's collecting and organizing his baseball cards, hitting a wiffle ball off a tee, or these special times where he can go to a real baseball game, it keeps his spirit up. In the face of tremendous difficulty, baseball gives Lucky hope.
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If this story has affected you personally and you'd like to help out, here are some suggestions:
• From Paula: For Lucky, support him, which has been wonderful. 😁I let Lucky experience everything with life. I want him to experience everything, take it all in. Think about contributing to the Hydrocephalus Association to help find a cure. In September, I am holding a very first Hydrocephalus Walk to raise funding for Hydrocephalus to help bring awareness to Hydrocephalus on September 26th 2020 in the Decatur IL area.
• Lucky LOVES baseball cards. Lots of people will send him baseball cards. He loves getting surprise packages of Cubs stuff. It really makes his heart smile. If you've got something to send him, let me know, and I can get you his address.
• Finally, a family friend put together a GoFundMe for Lucky's upcoming dental surgery. In this complicated age of health insurance, Lucky will incur about $2000+ worth of dental bills that insurance won't touch. Paula needs the money by April 3, 2020, with Lucky's surgery scheduled for April 17th. As of right now, if everyone who follows Cubs DNA on Twitter gives just $3, we can fully fill his fundraiser. That's such an achievable number, so I encourage you to be part of a team effort. Let's change Lucky's life!