Behind The Scenes Of A Milestone Make-a-wish Experience With The Dodgers

Kaylyn “KK” Alves had been talking each time astir her favourite infinitesimal successful immoderate Dodgers game: erstwhile Teoscar Hernández greets his teammates astatine nan entranceway to nan dugout with a ablution of sunflower seeds aft a location run.

KK, 14, could sanction Hernández’s favourite spirit of seeds — ranch — and had thought done nan imaginable downsides of throwing flavored seeds alternatively of original — nan seasoning posed a consequence for nan eyes.

So, erstwhile Hernández met KK connected nan section Tuesday earlier nan Dodgers’ crippled against nan Mets, he had a proposal for a pregame activity.

“Do you want to beryllium portion of nan celebration?” he asked, gesturing toward nan dugout. “Come on, let’s go.”

KK, her parents and her sister visited Dodger Stadium this week for an acquisition coordinated by nan Make-A-Wish Foundation of America. KK, who was diagnosed pinch epilepsy astatine nan property of two, is an avid Dodgers instrumentality from Northern California.

Those astatine nan crippled Tuesday saw her propulsion retired nan first transportation to Freddie Freeman, her favourite player. In summation to nan sunflower seed ceremony pinch Hernández, KK’s wish — nan 1,000th granted since Make-A-Wish and Fanatics collaborated successful 2023 — included a tour, section passes for batting practice, and other clip pinch Freeman earlier nan game.

Kaylyn “KK” Alves throws retired nan first transportation earlier Tuesday’s crippled against nan New York Mets astatine Dodger Stadium.

(Gary A. Vasquez / Los Angeles Dodgers)

“To spot my kid meet her hero, fundamentally — it’s indescribable,” said KK’s father, David.

KK inherited her Dodgers fandom from her dad, who was primitively an A’s instrumentality but made nan move erstwhile infielder Max Muncy did. It became a family passion.

David watched KK ray up erstwhile they walked retired to nan section Tuesday and spotted Freeman going done his crushed shot routine. And nan time kept getting better. Freeman walked complete and talented KK a jersey pinch his number and her sanction connected nan back.

“It was amazing,” KK said. “He’s nan sweetest.”

Freeman past led nan family to nan media room and took a spot adjacent to KK astatine nan podium. She asked him astir his increasing family — Freeman and his woman Chelsea person 3 sons and announced successful March that they are expecting a babe girl.

Kaylyn “KK” Alves prepares to propulsion sunflower seeds pinch Dodgers near fielder Teoscar Hernández to mimic nan team’s location tally ceremony earlier Tuesday’s crippled astatine Dodger Stadium.

(Gary A. Vasquez / Los Angeles Dodgers)

Freeman asked KK astir her interests. She grew steadily much talkative, nerves subsiding, arsenic they talked astir puzzles and video games. She moreover ran her thoughts connected nan seed ceremony by Freeman.

“I’ve had sunflower seeds spell each nan measurement down my back, and into my shirt, and it’s rather uncomfortable,” Freeman said. “But if you’ve sewage sunflower seeds down your shirt, it intends you’ve deed a location run, truthful you tin return it.”

An hr and a half later, KK knowledgeable conscionable that, stepping done a ablution of sunflower seeds thrown by Hernández. Then they traded places and she returned nan favor, some smiling receptor to ear.