Steelers captain Cam Heyward surprises kid on final day of chemotherapy treatments
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Friday was a big day for one kid battling leukemia.
Porter has been battling the disease since 2018 and yesterday at Children's Hospital, he was celebrating the end of his treatments by ringing the bell.
Along with getting to ring the bell with so much of the staff watching and cheering him on, he also had one special surprise guest join him for the bell ringing.
Steelers captain and 2023 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award winner Cam Heyward.
As Porter rounded the corner to make his way to the bell, there was Heyward waiting for the kid he's been supporting since 2018.
"I wanted to be here, I'm excited to be here, I'm ready for you to ring that bell," he told Porter. "You've got a lot of people in your corner, I want to say thank you to your parents, I know it's been a journey and it's been a big journey for you, but we're just all proud of you."
After ringing the bell, Heyward presented Porter with an autographed jersey.
It wasn't just talk for the Steelers captain, Heyward has been keeping up with Porter since he was at Children's in 2018.
"Honored that Porter thinks of me as a hero, but this dude is a superhero!" Heyward posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. "I'm glad I got the share the day with you bud!"
In February, Heyward was named the Walter Payton Man of the Year, which is given to the players that the league recognized for their work off the field and in the community as well as outstanding play on the field.
Heyward joined Franco Harris, Joe Greene, Lynn Swann, and Jerome Bettis as Steelers to be given what many consider to be the league's highest honor.
