You should all root for Roy Hibbert

[InspiredLebowski]

Because he's a shining example of what we all want a professional athlete to be. I'm as cynical as they come about these guys, but seriously, this is a "hope he'd marry my daughter" type dude.

http://www.indystar.com/article/20120807/SPORTS04/208080314/A-dying-boy-s-wish-Pacers-center-Roy-Hibbert-s-act-kindness?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|IndyStar.com

Lee Eddins had hoped he would be able to watch his idol, center Roy Hibbert, play in person when the Indiana Pacers visit Sacramento, Calif., for a game against the Kings in late November.

But Lee, 12, is not expected to live that long.

Diagnosed with stage four leukemia six months ago, Lee has been told he might only have a couple of weeks left to live.

So Hibbert has planned a special surprise. Later this week, he is flying to Sacramento to meet Lee.

"Once I heard he had a dying wish, I knew I had to do something more than send him presents and Skype with him on the computer," Hibbert said.

"I'm usually uncomfortable going to hospitals when the Pacers do events because it's pretty tough to see kids in that situation. Once I heard about (Lee), I realized I had to get over it and do it for him."

Lee has spent his entire young life in California. Hibbert grew up in the Washington D.C. area before joining the Pacers out of Georgetown in 2008.

So where did Lee's admiration for Hibbert come from?

"Lee's followed Roy since he was back at Georgetown," Eddins legal guardian Victor Baker said. "Lee likes players from all over the NBA, but there's something about Roy that he liked. I didn't even know he had heard of Roy Hibbert before."

Now Lee will get to meet the 7-footer, and for at least several hours, perhaps focus on something other than the ordeal he's been enduring the past few months.

Lee had what Baker thought were typical "cold or flu symptoms" at the start of the last school year. They bought some over-the-counter medication but Lee's symptoms didn't improve.

So the Bakers -- after many late nights -- took Lee to the hospital. A doctor told them Lee showed signs of being anemic.

"They said he had some kind of blood disorder," Baker said. "They gave him a blood transfusion and that's when he was diagnosed with leukemia. It's the monosomy 7 acute myeloid leukemia, which made him have to have a bone marrow transplant because chemotherapy wouldn't be enough to combat the leukemia. He needed the transplant in order to have a chance to survive."

Instead of playing basketball and football, Lee spent the following months hoping a bone marrow match would be found.

African-Americans have less than a 17 percent chance to find a match compared to 70 percent for Caucasians, according to the New York Stem Cell Foundation.

The Baker's held a bone marrow drive, which entails a simple swab inside the cheek, for Lee.

Sacramento mayor and former NBA player Kevin Johnson went to visit Lee at his home.

"These kids are forced to grow up so fast when something like this happens. The leukemia Lee has is one of the most serious types of cancer that you can have," said Jamahl Miller, who is on the advisory board for blood source in Sacramento, Calif., and a friend of Baker. It was Miller who started the line of communcation that ultimately led to Hibbert.

Lee finally had the transplant in June. But what he thought would be a happy time turned out to be a major disappointment because the bone marrow didn't take.

Lee and the Bakers continued to fight.

They were prepared to try a second transplant when Lee developed an infection in his left lung. It eventually spread throughout both lungs.

"The doctors did a CT scan to see how his lung was doing, but it was getting worse because the infection was spreading more," Baker said. "The doctors finally decided they didn't want to put him through another round of chemo because it would pretty much suppress his immune system and they didn't feel like he would be able to handle it."

Lee moved from the UC Davis Medical Center to hospice care last week. Family members flew in from around the country last week for a cookout where lots of laughs and tears were shared.

"It's tough because you don't want to see any kid go through anything such as this," Baker said. "He's just 12 years old. He's a good kid who had a future ahead of him. It's tough on everybody. We were thrust into this back in February."

Hibbert knows his visit with Lee won't save the boy's life. He simply wants to enjoy the time they will share and try to lift Lee's spirits as much as possible.

Hibbert also plans to have his mouth swabbed to see if he's a bone marrow match.

"I've had two family members die of cancer," Hibbert said. "It's tough. I seriously don't know what I'm going to say to Lee. I'm just going to be myself. If I can get a smile out of him that will be great."

If you're interested you can sign up for the bone marrow registry at most local blood banks, just a simple mouth swab. It's not exactly as easy as getting a broken finger fixed or something, but it's really not as major a procedure as you probably think. 3/4 days after you're back to normal after a bit of lower back pain. And you potentially save a life.

[noosaman]

Damn. I have never have a patient with AML.

By the way, bone marrow biopsies are extremely painful to patients, it's not a mere low back pain. They drill right through the PSIS or iliac crest.

Roy seems like a good dude.

[InspiredLebowski]

By the way, bone marrow biopsies are extremely painful to patients, it's not a mere low back pain. They drill right through the PSIS or iliac crest.

No idea, no personal experience other than just the initial mouth swab. Just passing along what I've been told and read on donor websites.

[noosaman]

No idea, no personal experience other than just the initial mouth swab. Just passing along what I've been told and read on donor websites.

They are painful as hell. It actually hurts me when I see patients getting one. That said, it's a respectable thing to do.

[bergs14]

Man that's sad, but some big props to Hibbert. That is just awesome.

On a side note.. "African-Americans have less than a 17 percent chance to find a match compared to 70 percent for Caucasians, according to the New York Stem Cell Foundation." ... That was pretty surprising. I'm no doc and know nothing about that sorta stuff, but that's weird.

[bagelred]

Flying to Sacramento instead of working on his game? This guy is not committed to the NBA at all. What a loser.

Indiana fans need to boo this guy when season starts.

[Rake2204]

Man that's sad, but some big props to Hibbert. That is just awesome.

On a side note.. "African-Americans have less than a 17 percent chance to find a match compared to 70 percent for Caucasians, according to the New York Stem Cell Foundation." ... That was pretty surprising. I'm no doc and know nothing about that sorta stuff, but that's weird.

Same thing stuck out to me as well. Pretty crazy statistic. And also, props to Roy Hibbert.

[Yung D-Will]

When I had my bone marrow biopsy I can tell you first hand it was painful as hell.

[niko]

Man that's sad, but some big props to Hibbert. That is just awesome.

On a side note.. "African-Americans have less than a 17 percent chance to find a match compared to 70 percent for Caucasians, according to the New York Stem Cell Foundation." ... That was pretty surprising. I'm no doc and know nothing about that sorta stuff, but that's weird.

Could be that blacks don't donate their samples. I am puerto rican, and there is this stigma against doing things like donating blood, etc. that i remember when i was young (and poor - might be more a poor person than a ethic thing). No one did it. It was not important to do.

[Rake2204]

When I had my bone marrow biopsy I can tell you first hand it was painful as hell.

How exactly does it work? What was the process?

[Yung D-Will]

How exactly does it work? What was the process?

Here's what I remember. They numbed the area, and claimed it would ease the pain. Then they took some huge needle and stuck it in to the area between my groin and thigh I believe. After that I just remember closing my eyes, squeezing someones hand and being in immense pain.

[Rake2204]

Here's what I remember. They numbed the area, and claimed it would ease the pain. Then they took some huge needle and stuck it in to the area between my groin and thigh I believe. After that I just remember closing my eyes, squeezing someones hand and being in immense pain.

Well that doesn't sound too pleasant at all.

[SuperPippen]

I already started rooting for him when he was on Parks & Recreation.

[Rake2204]

I already started rooting for him when he was on Parks & Recreation.

The writing staff of Parks & Recreation, are they basketball fans? I don't watch the show religiously, but Detlef Schrempf made an appearance as well. That's not usually the first guy one thinks of when sporting cameos come to mind. Even using the obscure retired Indiana celeb angle, Detlef was a surprising choice to me.

[East_Stone_Ya]

and this is coming from a huge Pacers homer