(WTNH) — A nurse from New Haven who battled Hodgkin’s Lymphoma has come up with an idea to help other cancer patients.
When Alfredo Axtmayer was sick, he focused on sports to get him through the tough days of chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant. Now healthy and in remission for five years, he has developed “Remission Ball.” It grew out of his love for the game of soccer.
“I think when I was going through my treatments some friends and friends of friends who I didn’t even know sent me care packages so when I was finally healthy, it was my time to pay it forward,” said Axtmayer.
He then started to send out soccer balls to other cancer patients with mantras that helped him heal. “Mantras that helped me heal and [I] sent it to a friend who was going through similar treatment who was a big soccer fan also,” Axtmayer said. “He would dribble the ball around the floor in the hospital and he drew strength from the mantras and through the soccer ball and what sport meant to him and we realized that for someone who played a sport.”
So far, there are remission balls for golf, lacrosse, baseball and soccer. Basketballs and footballs are coming. All have the “R” for remission on them.
To find out more about Alfredo’s company and to order any number of balls for someone who might need that kind of focus, go to the Remission Ball website. Part of the proceeds goes to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
