Kristen learned that federal funding targeted to
pediatric oncology accounted for only 4 percent of
December 2017/January 2018 55
government research dollars.
kid talking to a World Series champion and five-time All Star and
the 2012 National League MVP, the conversation is often going
to turn to baseball, or at least sports. “We usually talk about thesports
that they like to play, and how we hope they can make it
out to a Giants game soon,” says Buster.
The kids are invited to attend Giants games when they are
healthy enough to go, and there they get to meet
some of the other players and even to go out onto
the field.
Kristen says that the couple’s monthly hospital
visits have had a big impact on her and Buster, and
while all of the kids have compelling stories, some of
them stand out more than others.
“One little boy not too long ago had a mouth
full of sores from all the treatment, so he couldn’t
talk to us. The only way he could communicate was
through a thumbs-up. That was really tough to see,”
she recalls.
“Then there was one little girl we met a year ago
who was pretty sick at the time, but when we saw her
a couple of weeks ago, she had a head full of hair with
bows in it, and she came up and gave me a hug. It was
nice to see that she was doing really well.”
The Poseys are also able to interact with the parents
during these visits and learn more about how the children’s
illnesses are affecting the rest of their families.
“It’s tough to put yourself in their parents’ shoes,
to think about what they’re going through,” Kristen
says. “Their strength is pretty incredible, the way
they’re fighting for their kids.”
The Poseys haven’t taken their own kids along with
them on these visits, but they do take them to meet
children visiting the ballpark and have also brought
them to Family House. The organization provides
temporary housing to families of sick kids receiving
treatment at the University of California San Francisco
Benioff Children’s Hospital.
Dick Vitale (left) joins Buster and Kristen
Posey as they visit pediatric cancer patients at
UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital San Francisco.
“Our son enjoys going around and talking to the kids there
and at the games,” says Kristen. “I hope we’re teaching them that
there’s more to life than just meeting our needs. Trying to help
people is what it’s all about.”
“I think that it has made us closer as a family,” Buster adds.
“Kristen and I want our children to grow up and understand how
important it is to help one another. They are still pretty young,
but I think they are starting to understand why we do this.
“We want them to learn that you can impact someone by simply
giving them a pat on the back when they are having a tough
day. Hopefully, they will grow and learn how rewarding and
fulfilling it is to put others first.”
Melissa Wiggins couldn’t be more impressed with her new
friends and their willingness to pursue such a challenging endeavor.
“I think they’re amazeballs,” she says of the Poseys. “They have
a platform that the regular Joe doesn’t have, and they’re using it.
It’s painful and exhausting, but they’re taking that on. Unlike
other problems worldwide that seem out of reach, pediatric cancer
can actually be fixed if the right research is funded.”
The Poseys are determined to bring pediatric cancer out of the
shadows and work toward that fix.
“Unless it affects your family or your neighbor, it’s one of those
things that’s pretty easy to ignore. But once you get closer and
learn more about it, it’s about impossible to ignore,” says Kristen.
“No donation is too small to get something accomplished.”
To learn more about Buster and Kristen Posey’s work to fight
childhood cancer, visit busterposeyofficial.com. n
SUZANNA MITCHELL/S.F. GIANTS