Back in early January, former New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin penned an open letter to the organization and Giants fans across the country for their continued support of The Jay Fund Foundation, which is celebrating 25 years.
In that letter, which was originally shared here on Giants Wire, Coughlin specifically mentioned former Giants linebacker Mark Herzlich and the profound impact he had on many cancer-stricken children, including a young boy named Joey, who was just seven years old when he met Coughlin and Herzlich.
That portion of Coughlin’s letter can be found below:
“And then there’s Mark Herzlich who found a fan and friend in a little boy named Joey. Joey was a scared seven-year-old when I first met him and his mom in December 2016. Who wouldn’t be scared if they had just been told they had cancer? Lucky for me, Joey liked football and the Giants. I made a call to Herzlich and asked him if he would visit with Joey in the hospital. Mark didn’t hesitate, and within minutes of meeting Joey, Mark had a new friend, and Joey had an inspiration,” Coughlin wrote. “In fact, Joey was so inspired by Mark that as Joey began to lose his hair because of the cancer treatments, Joey fashioned what was left into a mohawk to look like Herzlich.”
On Tuesday, more than three years removed from the start of his battle, Joey claimed victory over cancer, ringing the cancer-free bell loudly for all to hear with an ear-to-ear smile on his face.
Who is out there cutting those onions?!
Congratulations to Joey, an absolute warrior, for beating the heck out of cancer, and to The Jay Fund Foundation for all the work they do, making special moments like this possible. It really doesn’t get any better.
If you would like to donate to The Jay Fund Foundation, there are multiple ways to join their team and several annual events that help benefit their cause. Be sure to check out their website or social media accounts (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram) for more information on how you can help.
