BOSTON (WHDH) - The Boston University men’s lacrosse team added a new face to its roster, a courageous 5-year-old from Jamaica Plain.
The Terriers held a draft just for Patrick Mahoney Monday, hoping to make his day and raise awareness of his chronic illness.
“He’s been really passionate, and I know the guys really look forward to when he shows up and practices and games,” BU Head Coach Ryan Polley said.
Mahoney has been battling brain cancer since 2017.
“It’s been a tough year-and-a-half, fighting cancer,” said Mahoney’s mother, Kathleen Kavaney. “We fought it hard with some high-dose chemo through the Jimmy Fund at Dana Farber. It’s been an uphill battle.”
For his tough and determined spirit, Mahoney was officially drafted and signed on as BU terrier.
“Patrick is going to get 44 big brothers,” Polley said. “They want to support him, and they want to make a friend with Patrick.”
“He really thought he was going to go in the game, and he said, ‘I don’t even know what position I’m going to play.’ Then we said, ‘It’s for moral support,’ and then he relaxed a little bit,” Kavaney said.
All of this was made possible by the nonprofit, Team Impact.
“We have matched over 1,700 kids over the past seven years and we worked with over 50,000 student-athletes,” said Elizabeth Higgins, of Team Impact.
After surgeries and treatments, Mahoney’s doctors say there’s no evidence of the disease, but low-dose chemotherapy continues.
“He’s the epitome of the word, ‘Warrior,'” Kavaney said. “It matches well with the boys on the team, so he’s a fighter.”
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