7-Year-Old Children's Hospital Patient Gets Dream Trip To Meet Big Papi
By Mark Haas
AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) - It's a Monday afternoon, and Maverick Schutte is holding court on the third floor of Children's Hospital Colorado.
"My superhero name is 'Ultimate Maverick,'" Schutte told a group of about a dozen adults. "Do you know what my super powers are? Flying, razor vision (He means laser), RAZER vision, I can shoot razers (lasers) with my eyes!"
Maverick, his mom Marti Linnane and stepfather Mike Linnane had a super-sized check to drop off -- money donated by Maverick's classmates at Davis Elementary in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
"Don't thank me, thank my school," Maverick insisted. "They did it."
Maverick turned seven this week, and has spent far too many days and months at Children's Hospital. His list of health issues is hard to believe for such a happy-go-lucky kid. From his Facebook support page:
"Maverick has a heart defect known as Tetralogy of Fallot, chronic lung disease with chronic respiratory failure, full tracheal rings (which means his airway was smaller than a coffee stirring straw) scoliosis, failure to thrive, tracheal and bronchial stenosis, tracheal and bronchial Malaysia, nephrocalcinosis (kidney) hyperkalemia with cardiac arrest, hypokalemia with metabolic acidosis, anemia of chronic disease, endocarditis (infection in heart) hypoglycemia, hepatomagely (liver) severe osteoporosis, sick sinus node, recently had a tracheostomy removed after six years."
Maverick has had roughly 30 heart procedures, including multiple open heart surgeries.
"It is getting harder as he's getting older and he realizes more that he is sick," his mom Marti says. "He keeps saying, 'I wish I wasn't born like this, I wish I didn't have a sick heart, because we have to stop him from doing things.'"
But it never stops Maverick from making an impression on everybody he meets.
"He has captured everyone's heart by his personality," Marti said.
And that now includes his personal superhero/favorite Boston Red Sox player, David Ortiz.
"Because he hits a lot of home runs," Maverick said (his parents are Red Sox fans if you were wondering that connection).
Speaking of home runs, that's where this story gets good.
A couple of months ago, through the Children's Miracle Network and the help of former Red Sox player Kevin Millar, Maverick got a message from Big Papi.
"Stay positive and keep the faith," Ortiz told Schutte. "And I am going to hit a home run for you, for you Maverick, for you!"
That was April 29, 2016, and that night Ortiz delivered an 8th inning go-ahead home run against the New York Yankees.
"Right after he hit the home run I was like, 'What the heck, was that really for me?' It was unbelievable," Maverick recalled.
"I screamed so loud," Marti said.
"And I tipped over," Maverick chimed in.
"He fell back and I just said, 'He did it, he did it, he did it for you Maverick,'" Marti said.
Maverick sent a video back thanking Ortiz and saying he was going to get to a Red Sox game. A couple weeks later Ortiz and the Red Sox made it happen. The trip included a private plane, a tour of Fenway Park, meeting the team, throwing out the first pitch, field level seats by the dugout, and of course, a meeting with Big Papi.
"It was like a dream come true," Maverick said, getting almost too excited to speak. "To meet my player, my favorite player, it was like a dream."
If you wish to follow Maverick's journey, he has a Facebook page: "Prayers For Maverick."
Mark Haas is a sports anchor/reporter for CBS4. Read his bio or follow him on Twitter @markhaastv or on Facebook.
