John Cena grants wish for ailing Maryland boy
I’ve posted stories similar to this one on the blog in the past, but they never get old as far as I’m concerned.
I received a press release from The Kids Wish Network regarding a boy named Bruce Durham, a resident of Suitland, Md., who suffers from Hemophilia. His wish was to meet WWE superstar John Cena. WWE does a lot of great charity work, and Cena is at the forefront when it comes to fulfilling the wishes of kids with life-threatening illnesses.
Here is the release:
Local boy meets his favorite WWE Superstar, John Cena
SUITLAND, Md. – With a little help from Kids Wish Network, 6-year-old Bruce, who suffers from Hemophilia, has his wish to meet WWE Superstar John Cena granted.
There is nothing that could make a child happier than meeting his or her hero, but for a spunky little sports fan named Bruce, his excitement overflowed when he met his hero and was even a celebrity for almost a whole week.
It all started with a conversation between a nurse and Bruce’s mother, Natasha, about Kids Wish Network, an organization that grants the wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses.
You see, Bruce has Type A Hemophilia. This is an inherited blood disorder that causes a lack of clotting, which leads to severe, almost constant bleeding. Bruce has to deal with breakthrough bleeds for which he is then hospitalized, even though he is on various medications to try to prevent this.
When Natasha called Kids Wish Network, she was surprised to find that they were more than willing to help her little guy. After the initial call, it wasn’t long before Bruce was telling Wish Coordinator Jill all about his wish to meet his favorite WWE Superstar, John Cena.
With the help of Wish Funding Specialist Doris and some outstanding sponsors, Jill organized a wish that would make Bruce feel like the world revolved around him for almost a whole week. Starting with a limo ride to take Bruce to his meeting with John Cena prior to watching a WWE Raw wrestling match, Jill also arranged for Bruce and his family to enjoy seats at a St. Louis Cardinals baseball game and even dinners at the Hard Rock Café, Houlihan’s and the Beechwood Bistro!
“He had a ball…we all had a ball,” said Natasha of her son’s wish trip. “He really enjoyed it. Everything was fantastic.”
Though Bruce enjoyed the Cardinals game and really had a blast playing 3D Glow Golf in St. Louis, his favorite part of the whole trip was definitely meeting John Cena at the WWE Raw match, though the limo ride was a close second.
“We weren’t expecting that,” said Natasha of the limousine that would take them to the Scottrade Center to bring Bruce face to face with his hero. “He really felt like a celebrity. He didn’t know what to do when he saw the limo…he was jumping all around!”
Once at the Scottrade Center, it was time to meet John Cena.
“When John Cena walked in the room, he [Bruce] was almost hyperventilating,” said Natasha. “He was really nervous at first, but John Cena was very down to Earth. He made Bruce feel comfortable…he gave him a shirt, hat and wristbands. Bruce wore them all night!”
There was nothing more that Bruce could have asked for, but the excitement wasn’t over. After meeting John Cena, it was time to watch him live in the ring. “I don’t think Bruce paid attention to me at all [at the match],” said Natasha. “We were three rows from the ring. It was great for him.”
When it was time for Bruce and his family to pack up and go home, he definitely didn’t want to leave. Of course, now that he’s back home, he won’t stop talking about his meeting with John Cena. He even can’t wait for school to start, just so he can tell everyone about what he got to do in the past week.
“He’ll remember it for the rest of his life,” said Natasha. “It was really a dream come true. It was much more than we ever expected. Thank you.”
Comments
John Cena the character is not one of my favorites, but Cena the man seems like a good person.
Posted by: Christopher | August 25, 2009 6:47 PM
Ditto
Posted by: rob the barber | August 25, 2009 10:13 PM
since watching raw, i've loved johnny. having him do things like this for young kids makes me love him more. such a gorgeous, gorgeous man. such a sweetheart.
Posted by: Sheri | August 25, 2009 10:25 PM
I applaud Kevin Eck for posting this Blog. We tend to hear only about the negative exploits of Pro Wrestlers and other professional sports people. John Cena is a great ambassador for the sport.
Posted by: Mark | August 25, 2009 10:37 PM
I mean this sincerly, stories like this always bring a tear to my eye. It's stories like this that make it hard for me to dislike John Cena.
I wish Bruce well and I hope this helps him fight his terrible illness.
Posted by: Andre the Midget | August 26, 2009 12:25 AM
Love or hate Cena...this isn't a unique story. Cena loves to make wishes come true and the WWE is a better place for having such a passionate employee who takes the time to do these wonderful things
Posted by: Jdubz | August 26, 2009 12:37 AM
I'm neither a Cena fan nor a hater. I think he's better than he gets credit for, but I hate the way he's booked (Super Cena, etc.). That being said, it does seem that the guy is a class act.
Posted by: Michael in Virginia | August 26, 2009 1:45 AM
This is exactly why the WWE needs a guy like Cena around, the guy's a class act.
Posted by: Dwayne | August 26, 2009 4:17 AM
This kinda of stuff can make me forgive them the PG status in a blink of an eye. Thumbs up for the Make a Wish Foundation, and to John Cena in particular since he has been the frontface of the foundation for a long time.
Posted by: Kordny | August 26, 2009 6:14 AM
Probably why they won't turn Cena anytime soon.
Posted by: Matt | August 26, 2009 8:21 AM
hi kev ...let me first say god bless cena and this foundation for doing what they are doing..
now i was wondering if u could answer a ques for me...!
i think i am not the only one who thinks that cena should turn heel..!! ( it would be such a breadth of fresh air)...but dont you think that this kind of exposure like going to charity events, kids award functions ,movies etc has the exact opposite effect...!!i dont want to sound stupid here..but logically i mean cena has seen so much positive exposure outside the wwe that him turning into heel would seem very unrealistic(especially amongst kids)...??
i hope its a logical question..!!?
RESPONSE FROM KE: It's complex, for sure. One of the main reasons Goldberg hated turning heel in WCW was because of his charity endeavors with kids. On the other side of the coin, Hulk Hogan did not stop doing his charity work after he turned heel.
Posted by: pratik | August 26, 2009 8:44 AM
Thanks Kevin for reminding us of something we all take for granted....Life.
Hats off to the WWE, John Cena, and organizations like this who take a moment in time for a suffering child and turn it into a lifelong memory of joy.
Kudos..
Posted by: Prime Time Bobby Lee | August 26, 2009 9:35 AM
Kevin, great story regarding John Cena. I've always been a fan of the guy. Fans can complain about his persona and his booking all they want, but a lot of them can't deny that the guy's great for the business in real life.
To hear about him doing stuff like this, it doesn't surprise me anymore. It warms my heart to see a guy that despite a successful career and a seven figure salary is still a great individual.
And check this out: http://www.newburyportnews.com/archivesearch/local_story_196225424.html - this just happened recently. To me, not only is he a great individual that will not only get involved in WWE-related endeavors like this, but he'll also get involved in causes that hit close to home.
Posted by: Nimesh S. | August 26, 2009 12:35 PM
wow bruce really got his wish come though,well i dont blame him john cena is a great wrestler and i for one will really love to meet him,well for me bruce is a really lucky boy.one more thing john cena is the best.
Posted by: blossom odubu | August 26, 2009 2:29 PM
I like that he does stuff for all sorts of organizations. Not only Make a Wish, but also Kids Wish Network. This particular one was Kids Wish Network (@ Kordny). Great job big C! You rule the ring!
Posted by: CenaFan86 | August 28, 2009 12:28 PM
Through your site i came to know that Cena is great human being.
Posted by: vinni | August 28, 2009 1:01 PM
I'm not a John Cena fan, but he and the WWE deserve kudos for all the charity work they do. I just wish this got as much press as the negative stuff.
Posted by: Kaliqo | August 31, 2009 11:38 AM
It takes a "real" man or woman to do what John Cena does for kids..alot of people only care about money. He cares for kids....Thats not a bad thing! He is the man of my dreams!
Posted by: Anonymous | September 2, 2009 5:36 AM
See this is exactly y I really don't understand haters, 2 me haters r just simply inmatter they don't know any better. John Cena is such a loving a caring guy=] I know he's married and his wife better treat this beautiful soul good, coz she;s married 2 the 1 of a kind, but he's my dream man and will always remain my beloved hero always and 4ever no matter what=] John Cena in many ways is like an angel.
Posted by: CenaLoveralways&4ever | September 22, 2009 8:28 PM
It's clear that Cena has haters & lovers, but I think that it's time to think nice. Cena makes time to grant wishes for this children, and we must respect him for that.
Posted by: AlexRomania | November 14, 2009 5:59 AM