KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Sporting Kansas City fans were welcomed to Children’s Mercy Park on Wednesday amid a rain delay against FC Dallas.
Seventeen miles away, Children’s Mercy Hospital on Gillham Avenue has been 14-year-old Uale Sua’s home for the past three months.
“I’ve been stuck in my room for the last couple of weeks, so getting to look outside of my room is pretty amazing,” Sua said.
Sporting KC set him up with his own set of wheels called REX (Robot Experience).
Sua could be connected to fans while he controlled the screen, camera and wheels from his hospital room.
Sua's second cancer battle isn’t stopping him from exploring what he loves.
He went through multiple rounds of chemo and radiation, even with the possibility of amputation.
“This time around he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia,” said Numia Sua, Uale’s Sua's mom. “If you meet Uale, he doesn’t complain even when he’s in pain.”
Golf, rugby, basketball, wrestling and football were his sports of choice.
“He was playing sports all the way up until he was diagnosed,” Numia Sua said. “He is a very, very athletic kid."
It was time for his moment under the lights.
Numia Sua said the crowd cheers are in order, because the bone marrow transplant was just completed eight days ago.
“He’s thriving right now, he’s just singing and playing sports in his room,” she said.
So a chance to meet the Sporting KC players was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up.
“That’s Johnny Russel, Johnny! Haha,” he said.
Uale Sua was inspired to be around like-minded people that love the game, and have determination and strength.
“It’s pretty cool, I look up to some of them because they are professional athletes,” he said. “I thought it was pretty cool, I’ve never been on the field, so getting to be on the field was a cool experience.”
Uale Sua continues setting goals whether it be his health progress or making sure he sees the good in everything.
“No matter the situation, always try to be yourself always try to find positive things,” he said.
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