Taipei, June 22 (CNA) A ten-year-old cancer patient has been recovering well from bone marrow transplant surgery following a special party at a Hualien hospital in which he received a dream gift from NBA star Stephen Curry, hospital officials said on Thursday.
Lee Yi-jung, head nurse at Tsu Chi Hospital in Hualien, said Hsiao Yu has had lymphoma since he was five years old. He likes basketball and his favorite player is the Golden State Warrior point guard.
The hospital asked Make-A-Wish Taiwan to forward Hsiao Yu's wish to Curry's agent, hoping to get an autograph from the star player. Curry kindly signed his name on a cap and a jersey as gifts for the boy, plus best wishes for his speedy recovery.
During a recent party, the staff in the hospital's pediatric department put on basketball jerseys to let him know "we are a team," Lee said.
The team performed an opening dance, played a game and held a three-point shooting competition to entertain Hsiao Yu before he went into the operating room.
Physician Yang Shang-hsien said over the the past five years, Hsiao Yu's condition has deteriorated several times and hospital staff wanted to give him support and encouragement, which has been helped by the kind words from Curry.
"It gives us great pleasure to see the children getting well," said Lee, who reported that after a successful surgery, Hsiao Yu is recovering.
Ta Ping-chi, a volunteer with Make-A-Wish Taiwan, said Hsiao Yu had told volunteers that his dream of a normal life might never be realized.
"So we thought of staging a basketball-themed party to encourage him, and to cheer him up as he faces such tough medical treatment," said Ta.
