Cliff, Kristen and Jaxon Lee

My heroes are Cliff Lee, his wife, Kristen, and their son, Jaxon. Cliff was born on August 30th, 1978. He is a left-handed pitcher, who plays for the Texas Rangers. I know Cliff and his family personally, as my father coached Cliff while he was in the minor leagues with the Montreal Expos. I would play “hop-scotch” with Kristen instead of watching the game! The reason I chose the Lee family as my hero is because I know the challenges they faced and I admire how they made it through those challenges. Some qualities to describe Cliff, Kristen, and Jaxon are faithful, strong, thoughtful, courageous, protective, and caring.

My heroes are heroes because their family has survived what could have been a tragedy. Jaxon, or “baby Jaxon” as I call him, was diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia at the age of 4 months old, while the team Cliff was playing for, Jupiter Hammerheads, was on a road trip in Daytona Beach, Florida. There are many types of Leukemia, but Jaxon had the worst kind. Jaxon was given a 30% chance of survival. With their son given such a grim diagnosis, Cliff and Kristen stayed strong. Their faith also helped them. Cliff stayed focused on pitching, for his family, while Kristen stayed strong and courageous, supporting Cliff while away at games, and staying positive for Jaxon while he was suffering through his disease.

Through the long struggle, the Lees survived. Jaxon is now in remission and is a normal 9-year-old boy living life. They stayed strong, they cared for each other and were thoughtful of others. I received a beautiful bracelet for my birthday; they thought about me while dealing with so much.

Cliff made a difference in his son’s life by raising funds for cancer research and patient services in the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. On September 17, 2006, Cliff and Kristen, along with the Cleveland Indians' Vice President, chaired the Society’s “Light the Night Walk”. They also spend much of their time and money to help children with Leukemia or Lymphoma so they can get the right treatment and begin a normal life, as Jaxon has. Cliff and Kristen are very thankful and blessed that Jaxon is still here today. They share this story with many people who have children fighting Leukemia. They are true role models, survivors, and heroes.

So many things happened in Cliff, Kristen, and Jaxon’s life but they always stayed strong and faithful, positive, and courageous! This makes me admire them so much! Today the Lee family consists of Cliff, Kristen, Jaxon, and Maci, a new sister to take care of! Cliff now pitches for the Texas Rangers. It is funny how things can change in just a few years. The Lees went from a family in the minor leagues with a lot of challenges, to a family in the major leagues with a healthy son and a dad winning the CY Young Award. Who knows what life will hold for the Lee family, but one thing I know is that they will survive whatever it is. They are the perfect example of heroes!!

Sources:

“Lees beat the odds, and leukemia.” http://mlb.mlb.com. Cleveland Indians. 11 May 2006. 18 October 2010 http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060510&content_id=1446992&vkey=+news_cle&fext=.jsp&c_id=cle.

“Cliff Lee.” Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia. 2010. 18 October 2010 No Author. www.playerwifes.com . Cliff Lee’s wife, Kristen Lee. Home page. 28 July 2009. 16 October 2010. http://www.playerwives.com/mlb/cleveland-indians/cliff-lees-wife-kristen-lee/.

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