New England Revolution welcome young cancer patients to movie night at Gillette Stadium
FOXBORO - Superheroes stole the show inside Gillette Stadium Thursday night. But the biggest stars weren't the Revolution players, nor the Spider-Man characters on screen. It was all about brave little boys and girls who have shown tremendous strength and courage in the fight against cancer.
"I'm here with my 4-and-a-half-year-old son Finn who is currently in remission for Anaplastic ependymoma, which is a rare type of brain cancer," said Sharon Paradis.
"It's really crazy, you know? It just happens fast. You always think it's someone else, right? You hear about it, it's other people until it happens to you," said mom Allyson Holihen, of their son's May diagnosis. He isn't even 2 years old.
Boxcar movie night, filled with candy and coloring and treats, has become a treasured tradition for the Revs.
Criminally cute video on #wbz @ 11. Tonight was @NERevolution Boxcar Movie night. Red carpet rolls out for local pediatric cancer patients. They design box cars w Revs and then curl up & watch a superhero movie together 😩❤️None of the grown ups are watching the movie🥹💪🏻🦸🏻♂️ pic.twitter.com/3WlrkumLRl
— Juli McDonald (@julimcdonald) August 18, 2023
"Eleven months ago, I had my first kid. So now, I feel all these things different," said Revolution player Carles Gil.
These events are so thoughtfully planned - a chance for families to really enjoy a break from their diagnosis. It's fun for the little patients, and really special for their siblings too.
"I had to go to clinic with him. It's hard but fun. Because all the nurses are so nice to me. They give me popsicles. I just hold his hand," explained 7-year-old Thomas of supporting his baby brother.
"It definitely puts things in perspective, just how very lucky we are in our normal lives," said Revolution player Andrew Farrell.
The littlest fighters, teaching the biggest lessons with their sweetness, and spirit.
"As a family we made it a point to just really appreciate the little things. It's days like this that really bring a smile to our face," Paradis added.