'I thought I was going to cry': Young patients surprised with trip to Brewers Spring Training
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) – Three young boys who have dealt with health struggles were surprised with a trip to experience spring training with their favorite baseball team.
"I had no idea this was going to happen," 13-year-old Malakai Kaesermann said.
Kaesermann woke up Wednesday thinking he would have a normal day at school, but his parents told him he had an appointment. On the way to his made-up appointment, they swung by American Family Field, and he got the surprise of a lifetime, along with two other young Aurora Healthcare Patients.
"We're going to Spring Training!" the three exclaimed while sitting in the Brewers' media room.
The three pediatric patients, Kaesermann, 15-year-old Brandon Krueger, and 11-year-old Evan Rennicke, were selected to join the Brewers in Arizona for Spring training through a partnership with Aurora Healthcare. The three boys have dealt with heart surgeries, Crohn’s Disease, and cancer, respectively, and were nominated for their trip by their doctors.
A video featuring Brewers players like Christian Yelich announced the surprise to the boys.
"After the players said my name and I heard about the trip, I thought I was going to cry," Kaesermann said. "It's going to be one of the best trips probably ever."
Each parent knew about the trip but had to keep it a secret until Wednesday. Kaesermann's mother, Amber, tells CBS 58 she was excited to see her son's reaction to the news.
"I knew he would just be thrilled," she said. "Well, baseball is life. So, he's definitely the number one Brewers fan, so it means a lot.He's been through a lot with his heart, and he deserves it."
The boys were nominated for the trip by their doctors. Malakai's Pediatric Cardiologist, Dr. Scott Cameron, said he chose the 8th grader because he knew he loved the team.
"I saw him just a few days before the call for nominations came, and he came in his baseball jersey for his school, and I was asking him about the Brewers, and whether he'd been to any games, which, of course, he had, so when the call for nominations came, I immediately thought of him," Dr. Cameron said.
The three families will be headed to Phoenix next Thursday.
"Every Christmas break, Spring break, and Thanksgiving break has been appointments and hospital stays. So, the fact that we get to have something planned on the calendar and know that it's not going to get erased like the last year and a half has been amazing," Evan's mother, Chelsie Rennicke, said.
During their time in Arizona, the families will meet Brewers players, tour the locker room, and throw out the first pitch during a Spring training game.