10-year-old heart patient from Country Club Hills gets trip to Cubs spring training

Chicago Tribune

11-02-2025

Ten-year-old Patricio Leyva thought he was headed to Wrigley Field for a tour Tuesday. But when the avid Chicago Cubs fan stepped onto Gallagher Way and heard Cubs starting pitcher Jameson Taillon announce over the Jumbotron that Leyva and his family will head to Arizona for a free spring training trip, he had one word to describe how he felt: 'excited.'
Patricio's parents, Adriana and Esteban Leyva, from Country Club Hills, said Patricio has been a Cubs fan since the he first watched them play at Wrigley Field at age 2. While he loves the game, his favorite part is when the cameras pan to the crowd during exciting plays such as a home run, standout catches or a strike out, Esteban said.
When the big announcement came, Patricio's face lit up as his image appeared on the Jumbotron alongside his favorite movie 'Minions,' his favorite snack Goldfish, and favorite song, 'I'm Still Standing' by Elton John.
Leyva, 15-year-old Mary Alice Kunz from Bourbonnais and 9-year-old Gerald Kruel from Chicago, all patients at Advocate Children's Hospital, were selected as part of an partnership with the Cubs to send young sports fans to spring training. This marks the seventh year Advocate has given select patients the opportunity to experience the Cubs' spring training in Meza, Arizona, said an Advocate spokesperson.
Patients are chosen based on recommendations from their doctors and their love for the sport, a spokesperson said.
Dr. Andrew Van Bergen, a pediatric cardiologist at Advocate, said the trip is about making the children feel not only normal, but also special.
'I'm always promoting things that will make them feel special, to normalize their life,' Van Bergen said. 'They're very unique. Their growing up is different from other kids. Looking at what can we do to normalize them, give them resilience. Anything we can do to make them feel special is incredibly important.'
Van Bergen said the absence of normalcy extends beyond the children to their siblings and families, who are also regularly in and out of the hospital.
That's why providing opportunities like this trip is important, he said.
It's a chance to 'give them extra special powers,' he said.
The four-day trip will include VIP access to Sloan Park, time to meet Cubs players and an opportunity to watch the Cubs take on the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Patricio's mother, Adriana, said they had known about the surprise trip for about a month, but keeping it a secret from Patricio was the toughest part. A shy yet intelligent student at Chateaux School in Hazel Crest, Patricio began to suspect something was up, she said.
'We never said anything about the big surprise,' Adriana Leyva said. 'But it was hard to prepare everything, get everything ready.'
The trip is made possible through the partnership between Cubs and Advocate, as well as American Airlines for the flights, said an Advocate spokesperson. They fly to Arizona on Feb. 18.
Patricio's parents said he deserves it, and has been through a lot in his young life.
He was born with a congenital heart defect that placed his heart on the right side of his chest, and one of his ventricles wasn't functioning properly, leading to his first open-heart surgery at just 5 days old.
He has since undergone six heart surgeries and numerous procedures, Adriana Leyva said. He also battles asthma, pulmonary hypertension and limited function in his left lung.
'For each surgery, we spend about a month in the hospital and there's a lot of medical procedures,' she said.
Adriana said Patricio, who receives care at the Advocate Children's Hospital in Oak Lawn, has been in and out of the hospital so often the doctors have 'become family,' she said.
On the Wrigley Field marquee on the corner of Clark and Addison, a message read, 'Welcome Advocate All-Stars Patricio, Gerald, and Mary Alice.' Moments later, Clark, the Cubs mascot, rolled over to the patients with three blue Béis suitcases — one for each of them to take on their trip. They were also given custom Cubs jerseys and backpacks.
Like Patricio, Mary Alice and Gerald are no stranger to white-walled hospital rooms and the constant flurry of tests and procedures.
Mary Alice was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect at 4 months, and underwent four consecutive open-heart surgeries to receive a new mitral valve. At 11, she needed a new heart valve as she outgrew the one she received as an infant, Advocate said.
Gerald was born with hypoplastic right heart syndrome and also underwent multiple heart surgeries early on. Despite his challenges, he enjoys watching games with his grandma and practicing pitching with his family.
A lefty with big dreams, Gerald hopes to one day become a pitcher.