Patients from the Jimmy Fund Clinic got their own duck boat—and cheers—during the Red Sox victory parade
Fans lining the streets cheered for 8-year-old Max Mitchell and other kids battling cancer.
The Red Sox weren’t the only champions greeted with cheers during Wednesday’s duck boat victory parade. Max Mitchell and his family were aboard one of the boats, which was reserved just for patients of the Jimmy Fund Clinic and their families. “It was very cool,” the 8-year-old told Boston.com.
We’re celebrating for #Boston! We’re celebrating as one big team! ❤️⚾️#WorldChampions #DamageDone pic.twitter.com/VNlf6jMTk6
— The Jimmy Fund (@TheJimmyFund) October 31, 2018
His mother, Marisa Mitchell, said it’s always special for her family when they get to come into Boston from Shrewsbury on a day that isn’t “a treatment day.” Max was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 5, and he was in remission for about a year and a half before it returned in May 2017.
Mitchell said through the Jimmy Fund, Max and his brother, 12-year-old Michael, have had the opportunity to meet players, attend games, throw out pitches, and serve as bat boys.
But Wednesday’s experience was one her family won’t forget.
“For five days in a row, we’ll come to Boston for chemo IV treatments and that’s not as fun to come [in] to, as opposed to when you’re coming in to go to a Red Sox game or go on the duck boats,” she said. “Today — we’ve done a lot of amazing things with the Red Sox, but this, I think, was the top of the charts for exciting things.”
Marisa Mitchell with her son, Max.
Mitchell said Max’s favorite player, Brock Holt, used her son’s name on his card during the Stand Up to Cancer initiative during the World Series, and the Red Sox player stopped by to visit with the kids after the parade.
“He knew all the kids names, and he came and took pictures with everybody, so that was really special,” she said.
“Those kids mean so much to me, so for them to get to be part of today, that makes it even that much more special,” Holt told NESN after stopping by the Jimmy Fund boat before the start of the parade.
WATCH: Brock Holt gets excited to run into his friends at @TheJimmyFund during an interview with @MichaelaNESN pic.twitter.com/OJKPLSfWw2
— NESN (@NESN) October 31, 2018
According to Dana Farber and Mitchell, many of the kids on the boat had gotten to know Holt through his role as the “Jimmy Fund Captain.”
Max said the best part of the day came during the parade — when fans took up a new chant as they saw the Jimmy Fund boat.
“They went straight from chanting and trying to scream at the people on top of the boat in front of us, to the Red Sox, but, when they saw the Jimmy truck, they started chanting, ‘Jimmy Fund,’” Max said. “That was cool.”
The most emotional experience.
As soon as the crowds see the @TheJimmyFund sign on our boat & the beautiful kids filling it up they scream even louder💛Chants of JIMMYFUND!!
We love the @RedSox Thankyou💛 pic.twitter.com/BeOAKN9ItQ— Lisa @ Jimmy Fund Clinic (@JFCactivities) October 31, 2018
Max said at one point he noticed no one was standing on one side of the boat, so he went over.
“Nobody was cheering on [that] side, and I went to the other side and they started cheering,” he said.
“That was my favorite part,” he added.
Thank you @RedSox for having us celebrate with you today! ❤️ #DamageDone pic.twitter.com/jGja4xS40E
— The Jimmy Fund (@TheJimmyFund) October 31, 2018
His mom called it the most “electric” part of the day.
“That was really super special,” Mitchell said. “No one on that duck boat was a celebrity or a championship baseball player, but they knew us and they were familiar with us through their connection to the Red Sox. So I think that was the most amazing — that the fans were chanting for us as well as the Brock Holts and David Prices and everybody.”
Brock Holt visited with the kids who rode on the Jimmy Fund duck boat.
