Mark Sanchez remembers Aiden Binkley
New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez and Aiden Binkley met just a few weeks ago. Aiden was an 11-year-old boy who had dreams and wishes like any other boy his age. But he had one thing that was very different about him that few people can relate to.
Aiden was the victim of a rare and little known type of cancer. The Rhabdomyosarcoma that he was battling would take his life one day and he knew it. His only wish was for his two brothers to stay well and meet Sanchez. As for the second wish, it was fulfilled.
Aiden went to the Jets facility on 15th December and received the VIP treatment which few other people get to experience. He was happy to watch the Jets practice, got a little more excited when he was escorted to meet owner Woody Johnson and was
happy as could be when he met players including Mike Devito, Dustin Keller and Antonio Cromartie. But his face lit up like a Christmas tree when he got to meet Sanchez Aiden's mother Lisa Binkley. She expressed, "He sat there, beaming and smiling.”
She wasn’t sure at first if letting Aiden go was such a good idea because it was a long trip and he was in a lot of pain. However, no amount of pain could keep him away from meeting his hero. Keller said quietly on Wednesday, "Nothing meant more to him than
coming here and meeting Mark and meeting the Jets. Great kid ... a tough situation."
The quarterback was immediately taken aback by Aiden’s love of the Jets and upbeat personality. A few days later, the Jets crushed the Pittsburgh Steelers in the biggest win of the season and the little kid was sent a game ball. Sanchez was moved by the
11-year-old boy. He had a tumour the size of a lemon that started in his pelvis and reached his lungs, requiring him to undergo 60 weeks of chemotherapy. They exchanged phone numbers when they first met. Many people who were there at the time didn’t think
that Sanchez would even remember Aiden’s name later but they became “texting” buddies. Sanchez even made a surprise visit to his little fan's house but he was asleep at the time. But Mark sat at the foot of his bed until he woke up. Lisa said, "He opened his
eyes and there was Mark, sitting on the couch. He was so sweet."
They ended up talking for a long time like some old buddies. Aiden showed Sanchez all of his sports stuff and gave the star a couple of bracelets that said “Binkley’s Battle.” On Wednesday, Mark and Keller were both wearing those bracelets. The star commented
on Tuesday, during his weekly radio appearance. He articulated, "My man, Aiden ... breaks my heart. He's so tough."
Sanchez was overcome with emotions and had to pause a couple of times while talking about Aiden. The quarterback expressed, "He brought me so much inspiration. ... It's hard to talk about him. He meant the world to me. I felt like I've known him forever.
... I saw his personality. I saw his competitive spirit. I saw him fighting every day.”
The quarterback continued, "I'm complaining about a shoulder. Are you kidding me? ... I think he was 11-years-old and he has cancer eating away at his body. This kid is fighting every day. He's smiling every time I talk to him. I visited him at his home.
I mean, he has to get carried up the stairs because he's so weak and all he wants to talk about is LT [LaDainian Tomlinson] and Darrelle Revis and Rex Ryan and me.
Mark was getting ready to play the Steelers when he received a text message from his battling buddy. "He's saying, 'It looks cold out there in Pittsburgh. I'm glad I'm watching from home. Good luck,'" Sanchez said with a chuckle. "Little stuff like that
really fires you up."
After the game, Aiden sent a message to Sanchez congratulating him about the game. His mother said not to expect a return text. But about 20 minutes later, Aiden received a call. It was Mark Sanchez. In his final days, Aiden was in so much pain that he couldn’t
get out of bed. But his phone was always close by in case Sanchez decided to call. Sadly, the 11-year-old lost his fight against cancer on Thursday. The Jets observed a moment of silence before the Buffalo Bills game in his honour.
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