Joe's W15H

Joe's W15H

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In March of this year, nine-year-old Joe DeWaele was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Through an aggressive course of action to beat the disease, Joe has had to travel far from home to receive the best treatment available. His love of being with his family and his pet dogs has made this time away especially draining. However, the difficulties don’t keep Joe down. He describes himself as “brave and strong” and is looking forward to beating cancer. Joe says he identifies with Tim, because Tim, “is a fighter who wins. I am a fighter too and know I can beat my cancer!”

We were so excited when everything came together for TTF to grant Joe’s W15H to meet Tim! Joe’s mom describes his reaction,

“When Joe found out he was going to meet Tim in person, he had a smile that was from ear to ear. It was the happiest and truest smile I have seen from Joe in months. The kind of smile that brings a mom to her knees.”

The weekend began with a chauffeured ride in a “party van” from Memphis to Oxford. The van had several exciting features, including a video game system for Joe to play on the ride. When Joe and his family checked in to the hotel, they found that the staff had filled a huge gift basket for him with all his favorite snacks, treats, and a few extra surprises!

On Friday, Joe and his family were escorted to one of the highlights of the weekend, dinner with Tim! Joe and Tim were able to throw a football together before dinner and talk about WWE. They all enjoyed an intimate meal in a private dining room where the chef had prepared a few of Joe’s favorites. Before the evening ended, Tim led a time of prayer with Joe and his family.

On Saturday, Joe got to stop by for a visit with Tim at SEC Nation. After the family enjoyed breakfast together, it was time for the family to head home and for Joe and his mom to head back to Tennessee to continue receiving treatment. We were so honored to have the opportunity to whisk Joe away for a little bit, introduce him to one of his heroes, and give him some encouragement and memories to look back on when things are tough. Please join us in praying for Joe as he courageously battles leukemia!

If you would like to help provide more W15H experiences for kids like Joe, we invite you to donate today or join The Movement.

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