Dallas Fort Worth Star Telegram wrote:

Posted on Wed, Jan. 12, 2005

PHOTO COURTESY OF TRIPP HARDIN
Christopher Foppiano, 8, spends time with Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre before Sunday's playoff game in Wisconsin. The boy has brain cancer and is not expected to live more than another year.
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A MEETING OF HEROES
A young cancer patient takes the trip of a lifetime to meet Packers quarterback Brett Favre.

By Aman Batheja, Star-Telegram Staff Writer

Christopher Foppiano was living a dream, sitting in the stands at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis., watching his new buddy Brett Favre play football.

But Favre was struggling and the Green Bay Packers were losing -- badly, to the Minnesota Vikings. Christopher spoke to his mom urgently. "I have to go down there," Christopher, 8, told his mother, Christine Foppiano. "I have to talk to Brett." His mother didn't get it. They had traveled from Weatherford for the wild-card playoff game, and he had just met Favre on the sideline, where he got a big hug and the crowd erupted in cheers. Why did Christopher have to see him again so soon?

"He'll listen to me and he'll do a better job," Christopher explained. Now she understood, for it was the kind of selfless remark that Christopher always made, despite his condition. Christopher has terminal brain cancer. After five surgeries, the family was told in December that he had between six months and a year to live.

Through it all, he has remained upbeat, always thinking of others. "Chris is just a great kid," said his oncologist at Children's Medical Center in Dallas, Dr. Dan Bowers. "He's one of these kids that never complains; he always has a smile on his face. He has never questioned his situation; he's never asked, 'Why did this happen to me?' Christopher did want to see Brett Favre play football, however. But because new tumors were appearing faster than ever, Christine knew that if Christopher didn't make it to Green Bay for the Minnesota game, he might never meet Favre.

So she went to work. Late last month, Christine posted a letter on the message board for www.OfficialBrettFavre.com, the player's Web site. She wrote that she wanted her son to meet Favre and watch him play. Sounds pretty easy or a story you hear all the time, she wrote. It is not. Christine also mentioned that she knew Favre's wife had breast cancer. When Packers fan Tripp Hardin first read Christine's letter on Jan. 4, he was instantly moved, but he knew that to get them to the game, he had to act quickly.

He knew that Favre occasionally looked at the message board and answered questions. But the game was less than a week away, and he figured the chances of Favre seeing the letter were "slim to none, with slim walking out the door."

The Packers frequently allow visits from terminally ill children through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, said Cathy Dworak, the team's manager of community relations. But Christopher's case was a direct appeal to Favre, so this was his call, not the Packers'. "Brett decided he wanted to do it," Dworak said. "It was really his decision." Hardin, 45, a financial adviser in Kenosha, Wis., is a season-ticket holder for the Packers' home games, and he gave his playoff tickets to the Foppianos. After a busy two days of phone calls to Christine, the Packers' front office, and his father -- who donated his frequent-flier miles -- Hardin pulled it off.

With the final element in place, Hardin called Christine from his office in a bank, and in an emotional exchange, told her the good news. "She just started crying, and of course then I started to," he said. "I told myself, 'You've got to stop crying. You can't do that in a bank.' " Christopher and Christine flew to Wisconsin on Friday, the start of a glorious, unforgettable whirlwind NFL playoff weekend, filled with thrilling experiences and humbling acts of kindness. On Saturday, she and Christopher got to watch the Packers practice. Later, they ate lunch with several players, including Favre, who sat with them for almost an hour. They also got a tour of Lambeau Field, which ended with a surprise in the locker room.

Christopher's jaw dropped when he saw that he had his own locker, complete with nameplate, next to Favre's. Inside was an official Packers jersey with "FOPPIANO" sewn on the back. Sunday was filled with more surprises. As mother and son stood on the sidelines before the game, players stopped to talk with Christopher. Several gave him mementos. Then Favre came out from the locker room. He kneeled down and spoke with Christopher for several minutes. He then gave him a big hug before going off to play.

"It was just so touching," Christine said. Christopher watched three quarters of the game before the cold and fatigue got the better of him. Hardin drove mother and son back to their hotel. The Packers lost by two touchdowns, Favre threw four interceptions, and the game's most talked-about moment was the post-touchdown antics of Minnesota's Randy Moss. But to Christopher, it was the best weekend of his life. "Everyone he meets in Weatherford, Dallas and Fort Worth say that he's their hero," Christine said. "It's like our local hero got to meet his hero."

• Christopher Foppiano learned in January 2003 that he had ependymoma, a type of brain cancer.

• About 90 children in North Texas are treated for brain cancer every year, and about 40 percent of those patients are uncurable, his doctors said.

• After her son had five surgeries, Christine was told in December that he probably had six months to a year to live.

Quote:

Posted on Wed, Jan. 12, 2005

R E L A T E D C O N T E N T
Christopher Foppiano, 8, spends time with Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre before Sunday's playoff game in Wisconsin. The boy has brain cancer and is not expected to live more than another year.
PHOTO COURTESY OF TRIPP HARDIN
Christopher Foppiano, 8, spends time with Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre before Sunday's playoff game in Wisconsin. The boy has brain cancer and is not expected to live more than another year.
More photos...

A MEETING OF HEROES

A young cancer patient takes the trip of a lifetime to meet Packers quarterback Brett Favre

By Aman Batheja

Star-Telegram Staff Writer

Christopher Foppiano was living a dream, sitting in the stands at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis., watching his new buddy Brett Favre play football.

But Favre was struggling and the Green Bay Packers were losing -- badly, to the Minnesota Vikings.

Christopher spoke to his mom urgently.

"I have to go down there," Christopher, 8, told his mother, Christine Foppiano. "I have to talk to Brett."

His mother didn't get it. They had traveled from Weatherford for the wild-card playoff game, and he had just met Favre on the sideline, where he got a big hug and the crowd erupted in cheers. Why did Christopher have to see him again so soon?

"He'll listen to me and he'll do a better job," Christopher explained.

Now she understood, for it was the kind of selfless remark that Christopher always made, despite his condition.

Christopher has terminal brain cancer. After five surgeries, the family was told in December that he had between six months and a year to live.

Through it all, he has remained upbeat, always thinking of others.

"Chris is just a great kid," said his oncologist at Children's Medical Center in Dallas, Dr. Dan Bowers. "He's one of these kids that never complains; he always has a smile on his face. He has never questioned his situation; he's never asked, 'Why did this happen to me?' "

Christopher did want to see Brett Favre play football, however.

But because new tumors were appearing faster than ever, Christine knew that if Christopher didn't make it to Green Bay for the Minnesota game, he might never meet Favre.

So she went to work.

Late last month, Christine posted a letter on the message board for www.OfficialBrettFavre.com, the player's Web site. She wrote that she wanted her son to meet Favre and watch him play.

Sounds pretty easy or a story you hear all the time, she wrote. It is not.

Christine also mentioned that she knew Favre's wife had breast cancer.

When Packers fan Tripp Hardin first read Christine's letter on Jan. 4, he was instantly moved, but he knew that to get them to the game, he had to act quickly.

He knew that Favre occasionally looked at the message board and answered questions. But the game was less than a week away, and he figured the chances of Favre seeing the letter were "slim to none, with slim walking out the door."

The Packers frequently allow visits from terminally ill children through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, said Cathy Dworak, the team's manager of community relations.

But Christopher's case was a direct appeal to Favre, so this was his call, not the Packers'.

"Brett decided he wanted to do it," Dworak said. "It was really his decision."

Hardin, 45, a financial adviser in Kenosha, Wis., is a season-ticket holder for the Packers' home games, and he gave his playoff tickets to the Foppianos. After a busy two days of phone calls to Christine, the Packers' front office, and his father -- who donated his frequent-flier miles -- Hardin pulled it off.

With the final element in place, Hardin called Christine from his office in a bank, and in an emotional exchange, told her the good news.

"She just started crying, and of course then I started to," he said. "I told myself, 'You've got to stop crying. You can't do that in a bank.' "

Christopher and Christine flew to Wisconsin on Friday, the start of a glorious, unforgettable whirlwind NFL playoff weekend, filled with thrilling experiences and humbling acts of kindness.

On Saturday, she and Christopher got to watch the Packers practice. Later, they ate lunch with several players, including Favre, who sat with them for almost an hour. They also got a tour of Lambeau Field, which ended with a surprise in the locker room.

Christopher's jaw dropped when he saw that he had his own locker, complete with nameplate, next to Favre's. Inside was an official Packers jersey with "FOPPIANO" sewn on the back.

Sunday was filled with more surprises. As mother and son stood on the sidelines before the game, players stopped to talk with Christopher. Several gave him mementos.

Then Favre came out from the locker room.

He kneeled down and spoke with Christopher for several minutes. He then gave him a big hug before going off to play.

"It was just so touching," Christine said.

Christopher watched three quarters of the game before the cold and fatigue got the better of him.

Hardin drove mother and son back to their hotel.

The Packers lost by two touchdowns, Favre threw four interceptions, and the game's most talked-about moment was the post-touchdown antics of Minnesota's Randy Moss.

But to Christopher, it was the best weekend of his life.

"Everyone he meets in Weatherford, Dallas and Fort Worth say that he's their hero," Christine said. "It's like our local hero got to meet his hero."

Christopher's cancer

• Christopher Foppiano learned in January 2003 that he had ependymoma, a type of brain cancer.

• About 90 children in North Texas are treated for brain cancer every year, and about 40 percent of those patients are uncurable, his doctors said.

• After her son had five surgeries, Christine was told in December that he probably had six months to a year to live.