Tim Tebow has a hero – a terminally ill 9 year- old with a bucket list

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Patricia Walston

Children are people, too.  While they may not have the years of experience older adults do, they have heart and courage. 

Blake Appleton is such a kid.  He has terminal leukemia and is already under the care of Hospice; but that does not diminish who he is, what the likes, and where he wants to go; and who he wants to meet. 

Even though he understands that his little life will be cut short unless a miracle is performed, he continues to live life.  And he has a list of things he wants to do – his “bucket list” – if you will.

Blake will turn ten on February 9th if he makes it.  However, as reported by David Whitley in SportingNews, Blake refuses to play the victim. 

He reports that his mother, Miranda says: “Blake gets up and laughs and jokes and runs around and enjoys life. He inspires me to do that every day.”  She says there is not a moment that he does not have a smile on his face

Blake told his mother that he did not want her to be unhappy with him; but he just didn’t want any more chemotherapy or radiation.  And who could blame him after 30 chemo treatments and 20 surgeries, he decides that enough is enough.  He has brain cancer.

One of the things on his bucket was to meet Tim Tebow.  And that he did.  A 13-year old friend named Emma Hill decided that she would make this wish come through.  She got in touch with Tebow’s parents; and then she called Miranda and asked if she could give her phone number out to someone.

The phone rang and the voice said, “Hi, Mrs. Appleton.  This is Tim Tebow.  Is it possible to speak to Blake?”

Later in the week, sports writer, Peter King asked Tim if anyone had said anything memorable to him that week and he gave a surprising answer.  Tim has been receiving a lot of flak from certain people about his faith in God, praying before games, and giving testimony to God.

 “I’ll tell you one thing that happened during the week that I remember,” Tebow said. “I had an opportunity to talk with a kid named Blake Appleton, from Florida, on Thursday. He’s a leukemia patient who’s just been moved to hospice.”

“And after the game when I was being interviewed on TV, I got to say his name. That’s what I’m proud of today. I let him know that people cared about him. I let him know God has a plan for him.”

Blake made it to Mile-High Stadium last Sunday riding in a limousine, escorted by the Denver Police.  Tebow saw him all bundled up during warm-ups.  He took Blake aside and asked him if he were a “Gator fan?”  The only thing his mother learned of the conversation was that Blake asked Tim if he played the Angry Bird video.

Blake has other things on his bucket list.  He was asking next to see the Statue of Liberty.  He wants to go to Hawaii and Australia.  He wants to see the Eiffel Tower.  Some kids might think he is a lucky boy to get to meet Tim Tebow;  but those who meet Blake consider themselves the lucky ones; especially Tim Tebow.

This author, with scores of others, are praying that Blake gets that miracle.

You can read more here at AOL Sporting News.

Shoulda, woulda, coulda LOL. Bottom line, Tebow got it done. If I've learned only one thing about the NFL it's any team can beat any team on any given game day.