Veteran and Heart Transplant patient Brad Hollingsead was beside himself to get a pic with his favorite teams trophy.
The 43-year-old Heart Transplant hopeful has been in the hospital at Emory Healthcare for months, awaiting the perfect donor. Once a completely healthy hero, who served 4 tours in Afghanistan, Brad found himself in life threatening heart failure and has been hospitalized for 140 days so far. He had to watch his favorite team win the World Series from his hospital bed.
“They are an awesome baseball team,” says Hollingsead of the Braves. “I like to follow them. It was awesome watching them win the World Series. It made my days go by fast during the playoffs, and watching their run towards it all.”
Photo: Used with permission from Emory Healthcare
Hollingshead said randomly once how he'd love to see the trophy. The amazing Emory staff jumped into action and coordinated with the Atlanta Brave organization to make his dream come true.
Divya Gupta, MD, associate professor of medicine in the Division of Cardiology, Emory University School of Medicine said, “I think seeing the World Series trophy and taking photos were great experiences for Mr. Hollingsead and his family. We were so excited to be able to make this special request a reality.”
Brad, a die-hard Brave fanatic, couldn't believe when the trophy showed up. “It’s more than I imagined would ever happen,” says Hollingsead. “It shows the relationship that Emory has with the Atlanta Braves and I’m proud to be able to take part in that.”
Such a cool moment and couldn't have happened to a more deserving hero! Love this! Go Braves!
The Atlanta Braves are taking the 2021 World Series Trophy on tour with 151 stops, commemorating 151 years of Braves baseball.
Here are a few of the stops:
- Gresham Park Baseball Complex in Dekalb Co., GA for the Morehouse College baseball season opener against Tuskegee University on February 20
- Cherokee, NC with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians for an event with local high school baseball and softball teams on March 12
- Braves Country Battles Championship Tournament in Alpharetta, GA on July 9
- Gwinnett Braves, Mississippi Braves, Rome Braves and Augusta GreenJackets
For more information or to pre-register for select stops, click here.
(Source: Emory News)