Rams' Todd Gurley Makes Super Bowl Wish Come True For 6-Year-Old Fighting Cancer
LONG BEACH (CBSLA) — Little Hector Sandoval has a big love for football, and though the 6-year-old has had a rough couple of months dealing with his illness, he's raring and ready to go thanks to his fighting spirit and a little help from his favorite football team.
Hector has Hodgkin's lymphoma and has been in and out of the hospital for treatment for the last five months.
"It's very hard to see him go through this, " his father who's also named Hector told CBS2 News. "Who wants their son to be going through cancer?"
It's been a rough time for Hector and his family. However, the Los Angeles Rams came through with the gift the tiny tackler won't soon forget.
This past Friday, Hector had his last round of radiation, giving him the all-clear to go to the Big Game with two tickets, courtesy of the Rams.
They found out about Hector through his dad, who's a season ticket holder.
"They called to see how the experience was going. I told them, I says, 'We've only made it to a few games 'cause little Hector got sick.'"
After that contact, the team stayed in touch with the Sandovals.
The family never imagined what would come next.
Star running back Todd Gurley, who just happens to be little Hector's favorite Rams player, showed up to his family's house with lots of surprises.
"I was so, so, so happy," said Hector decked out in his Rams gear. "It's crazy."
"I just wanted to present y'all with two Super Bowl tickets to Minnesota," Gurley told the Sandovals that day.
Included with the seats were free airfare, hotel and, most importantly, support from the team they love and obviously cares a lot about them.
"The two teams that are in the Super Bowl, it's like he's in his own Super Bowl, in a way, beating up on cancer like that," Hector's the elder said.
"I'm this excited," the younger Hector said opening his arms as far as he they would go.
He's already packed and ready to go to Minneapolis, Minnesota for the game on Feb. 4 that pits the New England Patriots against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Even though his team isn't hitting the turf next Sunday, the boy said he will be covered in Rams gear, which he already had packed up, along with his Mickey Mouse.