Patty, 68, of Stockton, CA, is a longtime fan of the San Francisco Giants and a lifelong fan of baseball. Growing up, Patty was the only girl in the neighborhood. To make friends with the boys, she had to learn how to play sports, such as baseball, hockey, and football. Baseball was her favorite to play because she “didn’t get hit in the face with a puck” and “didn’t get [her] face pushed to the ground.” Patty also liked baseball because it allowed her to bond with her father who was a baseball fan. She recalls watching baseball on TV together and learning all about baseball from her father.
When Patty was 18, she enlisted in Marines and served for two years. She trained soldiers, who fought in the Vietnam War. After the Marines, Patty raised four children as a single mom and worked hard to provide for her children. When one of her sons served during the Gulf War, Patty helped charities that supported the military and their families. She also sent many care packages to troops overseas.
Patty passed along her love for baseball to all her children. In 1992, Patty with her four-year-old son, Myka (her youngest) moved near the Bay Area. Ever since then, they both have been huge San Francisco Giants fans. Once a year on her birthday, she and her son, Myka would go to a Giants game. “I look forward to my birthday because we go to the Giants game,” she said.
Recently, Patty was diagnosed with cancer. During this difficult time, Patty looks to the Giants for inspiration. “Every one of them have so much heart and soul and they fight until the very end… every one of them are fighters,” she said. More than anything, Patty wished to meet a Giants player. “It would be a really fantastic dream because the closest I’ve gotten to see the players was from the 3rd base line,” said Patty, “[Meeting a Giants player] would inspire me more to fight a little bit harder.”
Thanks to Wish of a Lifetime and special thanks to the San Francisco Giants, Patty was finally able to meet a player from her favorite team. Before a Saturday afternoon home game, Patty and her son, Myka, were escorted onto the field. “I’m looking around and all of a sudden, I see Matt Cain walking towards us and he kept walking,” Patty describes, “He goes, ‘Patty?’ and I said, ‘yes’ and he shook my hand and we talked for a few minutes. I asked Matt to sign a baseball and a hat… It was unbelievable.” About her wish, Patty said, “It was an amazing day full of memories I will never forget… Now I feel like I’m gonna live forever.”
Photos by Sumit Kohli, sReel Photography
