Boy Meets Hero
/What makes us smile? Acts of kindness, heartwarming stories, lost loves found, music and food and the sweet memories that they bring forth, old photographs, family gatherings, heroes in our midst, remembrances of pets and experiences, etc. etc. Each of us have our own smile triggers. What's yours?
Send us a story that makes you smile, be it a vignette or an anecdote, a picture with an extended caption, even a screenshot.
Joseph Tagaban (left) and Klay Thompson (Source: Golden State Warriors Facebook)
Joseph has just undergone almost a year of treatment in a Seattle hospital for ALS, a type of blood cancer that is rare among young people. In fact, he thought he was going back for a checkup; the Southern California detour was a total surprise. An avid basketball player himself who can do three-pointers, Joseph bonded with Klay easily.
Here's the My Wish feature covering that fateful day when Klay made his fan very happy. The four-time NBA champ gifted Joseph with a trove of Warriors memorabilia, and one of his prized possessions: an autographed picture of Kobe Bryant given to him when he was just 15 years old.
Joseph's unforgettable experience ended with valuable advice from Klay who knows how it feels to endure a serious health issue (he couldn't play for more than two years because of injuries). The Juneau Empire quotes Joseph repeating Klay's words to him: “Take small little steps, test yourself and you’ll eventually make it," the star told the fan.
Words that Joseph will definitely take to heart. After his day with Klay, he had his checkup in Seattle and was found to have had a relapse, according to his mother, Jessielea Tagaban.
