A gaming system and a trip to the nation’s capital for two Baldwin County kids
The Alabama Baller Bash celebrated two Baldwin County children battling cancer on Saturday, Nov. 14, surprising each with a long-held wish.
Seven-year-old Camden Pancener received a state-of-the-art gaming system, while 12-year-old Madison Grace Raine was given an all-expenses museum tour in Washington, D.C.
The surprises were made possible by Frank Deblasi, founder of the Baller Dream Foundation, who started the nonprofit after his own cancer diagnosis. He said that while he was fortunate to have friends, resources and family during treatment, many children and young adults facing cancer do not.
Deblasi promised himself that if he got through it, he would build an organization supporting young cancer patients — except his foundation calls them “ballers.”
Madison’s mother, Mary Mead, said Deblasi’s support goes well beyond gifts and events. She said he visits families at home and checks in by phone often, keeping her daughter’s spirits up between treatments.
For Deblasi, showing ballers they are not fighting alone is the whole mission. He described lifting a child’s spirits mid-battle as among the most fulfilling moments of his life.