As the Phillies continue to battle for the National League East title, a different battle will take center stage on Saturday night, a battle that has affected far too many people. Throughout the Delaware Valley, there are families that have received news of a terrible word no one ever wants to hear: cancer.
In 2025, nearly 10,000 children under the age of 15 will be diagnosed with cancer in the United States alone. Saturday night, the Phillies and Nemours Children’s Health are coming together for their annual Childhood Cancer Awareness Night. The night will be dedicated to celebrating the courage, patience, and resilience of the children and families battling childhood cancer and receiving treatment at Nemours Children’s Hospital in Delaware.
The Lineup of Courage
In attendance Saturday night will be many local children who are or have battled cancer in their lifetime. Ten children will take the field pre-game for the lineup of courage: Michael Gallagher (age 9, Cinnaminson, NJ), Charlotte Long (age 5, Wilmington, DE),Hadleigh McCarthy (age 4, Aberdeen, MD), Owen McQuillan (age 18), Candace Saxon (age 18, Ulster, PA), Tristan Sheehan (Mount Laurel, NJ), Roman Schmid (age 14), Alex Skumpija (age 14, Warminster, PA), Allayah Tolliver (age 4), and Chloe Winters (age 15, Abington, PA).
Also before the game begins, Finnegan Ford (age 4, Wilmington, DE) will take the field as the Go Gold Home Run Hitter. Ford will step in the batter’s box and take a swing, hitting a home run to round the bases in front of both Phillies and Kansas City Royals players. Vishaal Addaganti (age 10) will then take the mound to throw a ceremonial first pitch to his doctor, Nemours Children’s Health pediatric hematologist-oncologist Dr. Nicholas Manini…