Miami Heat Center Bam Adebayo Receives Autographed Basketball from Nicklaus Children's Cancer Patients

MIAMI, Aug. 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Miami Heat forward/center Bam Adebayo, 25, visited Nicklaus Children's Hospital for a special reunion with a cancer warrior. Michael, age 21 from Miami, has a very rare and aggressive form of leukemia that affects his liver and spleen and has been in treatment for a couple of years at Nicklaus Children's Hospital.

Several months ago, Michael received a special FaceTime from Bam that started their friendship. This time, they met in person when the Miami Heat superstar paid a surprise visit to Michael and other children receiving care at Nicklaus Children's.

Separately, Miami Heat head coach, Erik Spoelstra, and his wife Nikki Sapp Spoelstra, also turned to Nicklaus Children's when their 4-year-old son Santiago was diagnosed with Burkitt lymphoma. Last month, the Spoelstra's announced that Santiago was in remission, now cancer free.

During his visit, Bam also delivered food to the nursing staff in the Emergency Department with Pedro Pollo from Pollo Tropical, and spent some time with patients in the hematology / oncology unit. Bam took photos, handed out coloring / activity books with his friend and Miami artist Vic Garcia, and enjoyed a meet and greet with more patients and their families.

Before leaving, Michael surprised Bam with an autographed basketball signed by many of the other cancer warriors he met during his day at the hospital.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Fuad Kiuhan
786-449-4797
[email protected] 

Founded in 1950 by Variety Clubs International, Nicklaus Children's Hospital is South Florida's only licensed specialty hospital exclusively for children, with nearly 800 attending physicians and more than 500 pediatric subspecialists. The 309-bed hospital, known as Miami Children's Hospital from 1983 through 2014, is renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine with many specialty programs routinely ranked among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report since 2008. The hospital is also home to the largest pediatric teaching program in the southeastern United States and since 2003 has been designated an American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet facility, the nursing profession's most prestigious institutional honor. For more information, please visit www.nicklauschildrens.org.

SOURCE Nicklaus Children’s Health System