Ethan Hoffart slipped off his hoodie to reveal his Kansas City Royals T-shirt. More specifically, his Alex Gordon T-shirt.
That brought a smile to Gordon’s face.
Gordon, the Gold Glove outfielder for the Royals, and two of his teammates, second baseman Johnny Giavotella and outfielder Mitch Maier, visited Children’s Hospital & Medical Center in Omaha, Neb., on Friday, Jan. 13 during their annual Royals Caravan stop in the city, hosted by the Omaha Storm Chasers, their Triple-A affiliate.
In early December, Ethan was diagnosed with Aplastic anemia, a blood disorder that leaves its victims feeling fatigued and at a higher risk of infections and uncontrolled bleeding, according to the Mayo Clinic. Doctors released him Jan. 12, but when he found out that Gordon would be coming through the hospital the next day, the die-hard Royals fan couldn’t wait to get back.
“So you watch the games all the time on TV?” Gordon asked Ethan as he autographed the back of Ethan’s jersey.
“Yeah.”
Later, Ethan told me that when he isn’t watching the Royals on TV, he tries to listen to them on the radio.
Gordon handed Ethan more Royals gear and the players autographed those items for him. After they chatted for a while and posed for pictures, Ethan pointed Gordon toward a table of baseball cards and various other memorabilia he wanted him to sign. Gordon smiled and got to work.
“It’s really cool, because not many kids get to do this,” Ethan told me about getting the chance to interact with major league players. “So, I feel special.”
“He was pretty pumped,” Gordon said to me and a TV reporter afterward. “You saw how he laid everything out–the cards and everything. He was well prepared.”
Gordon said making these types of visits brings perspective.
“Those kids–it [means] the world to them that you’re coming out here, and you’re here to see them,” Gordon said. “They really love it, so you just got to have fun with it and try to make the kids day as much as you can.”
It’s a nice diversion for kids who spend so much time cooped up in a hospital room.
“The Royals do a great job–I mean, we’re giving out four tickets to families to come down and see a game,” Gordon said. “And we’ve got teddy bears, hats, and T-shirts. I know little kids love to see that kind of stuff. It’s just great to put a smile on their face.”
Mission accomplished as far as Ethan is concerned.
“It’s a great boost for his morale,” Ethan’s mother, Kim Hoffart, told me. “It’s fantastic. He loves the Royals. Baseball is his favorite thing. This really lifts his spirits.”
Ethan plays Little League baseball, but his illness is going to keep him off the field this year. Kim says Ethan is looking forward to attending some of his team’s games and sitting in the dugout with them.
So, what will Ethan tell his friends after getting the opportunity to hang out with Gordon, Giavotella, and Maier?
“It’s kind of hard not to brag that I get to do all this,” he said.
Lee Warren has covered the Omaha Storm Chasers (formerly the Omaha Royals) for the past three seasons. You can find more of his writing about the team at www.omahabaseball360.com. Follow @OmahaBaseball on Twitter for more continual updates about the team.