Kinderhook teen who battled rare bone cancer
to announce Jets first round NFL Draft pick,
By Melissa Steininger Albany/Capital Region
PUBLISHED 12:04 PM ET Apr. 23, 2023
It’s back to baseball season, as the Ichabod Crane Middle School modified team is gearing up for its first games of the season. Coach Bob Hanna said the team is starting off strong.
What You Need To Know:
Kyle Stickles returned to the baseball field after being diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer in 2020. He went through months in the hospital receiving chemotherapy after he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, had surgery to remove five inches of bone and had to relearn how to walk.
As a lifelong Jets fan, he says support from fans all over the country helped him through his toughest days. The teen will be announcing the first-round NFL Draft pick for the New York Jets through Make-A-Wish. Kyle Stickles is strapping on his glove for his big return.
The 13-year-old just got the medical clearance from his doctors to get back into the outfield. “We only had one game so far, but we won it 12-6,” Hanna said. “So, we’re looking forward to the rest of the season.
“The team has really rallied around him and made it a home for him,” Hanna said.
“So, it’s really good to see him back out on the field.” It was baseball season 3 years ago when everything came to a stop. In 2020, the world shut down as it battled a pandemic. But, it was also a time when Stickles began his own battle.
Spectrum Local News shared details on Stickles’ condition back in 2021.
At just 11 years of age, he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. The journey began with a harmless trip to the doctor to help diagnose pain that Kyle, an avid baseball player, had been experiencing in his leg. It ended with a diagnosis that shook the Stickles family to their core.
Kyle spent 97 days in the hospital at Albany Medical Center, went through months of chemotherapy, had surgery to remove five inches of bone and thankfully, was given the news that he was in remission. Then in 2021, he took his first steps toward recovery.
“That’s all he really wants is to be a normal kid again,” said his mom, Jamie Stickles. Today, running the bases are some of the biggest strides of Kyle’s journey.
“And I haven’t been playing baseball in a while, and I’ve really been
wanting to play again,” Kyle said. “So, it feels great.”
Hanna said Kyle returned back to practice ready to put in the work for the season.
“He’s been dealing with things that no other kid has to deal with,” Hanna said.
“So he’s very resilient about it and doesn’t complain about anything.” But it’s his passion for sports that helped him through the toughest days. The reminders of that fight can be seen in every corner of his bedroom.
The New York Jets football team, Jets fans and sports fans across the country sent Kyle mementos of encouragement during his battle with cancer. His lifelong love for the Jets is going to be on full display on Thursday, as Kyle will be announcing the first-round pick for the team during the 2023 NFL Draft. It’s an opportunity he received through Make-A-Wish. “Anybody who knows him knows this is a perfectly Kyle wish,” Jamie said.
“Probably someone on offense,” Kyle said with a laugh when
asked if he had any insight on who the Jets may be choosing. But, no matter who the
Jets select this year, he has the support of his fellow fans and teammates behind him — just as he has throughout his entire journey. “Absolutely I’ll be watching the draft and seeing where he’s at there. So hopefully he picks a winner,” laughed Hanna.
For more information on Kyle’s journey,
you can follow his support Facebook page Kyle Strong.
GHENT, N.Y. (NEWS10) – It’s the night football fans have been waiting for, the first round of the NFL Draft! Tonight, a boy from Columbia County will be taking to the stage to help the New York Jets announce their first-round draft pick. 13-year-old Kyle Stickles has been given the opportunity through the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
In 2020, Stickles at the age of 11 was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma — a rare bone cancer that affects just 400 kids each year. His last chemotherapy treatment was in June 2021.
“He worked so hard,” said his mother, Jamie Stickles.
Rodgers hopes to help Jets add to ‘lonely’ Super Bowl trophy
Before Kyle headed to Kansas City, he made a stop at the Jets Training Center in New Jersey. He even got to meet one of his favorite players, Garrett Wilson, and throw the football around on the field. Check out Kyle in a press conference earlier this week alongside Jets’ front office personnel: Upstate New York Teen Gets Incredible Opportunity at 2023 Draft (1045theteam.com)
Leading up to tonight’s announcement,
the teen has been practicing in the comfort of his own room. Watch the NFL Draft tonight on ABC and #WakeUpWith10 to see Kyle’s big moment on the world stage and learn about the road it took to get there.
Patrick Mahomes and NFL Twitter loved ‘Jets kid’ Kyle Stickles making pick (fansided.com)
Kyle Stickle just won the hearts of every NFL fan on one of the biggest stages of the sport.
Amidst a pretty surprising first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, a young 13-year-old New York Jets fan stole the show with his infectious enthusiasm. When the Jets came up to make their No. 15 overall selection in Thursday night’s draft, Stickles was the one to make the announcement. Stickles was given the opportunity to announce the Jets pick thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Stickles was diagnosed with bone cancer when he was 11.
Kyle Stickles may have made the biggest impression of anyone at the 2023 NFL Draft on Thursday. Stickles is not a player, coach nor general manager, but rather an extremely passionate New York Jets fan who, through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, had the opportunity to announce his favorite team’s first-round pick from the stage in Kansas City.
The New York Jets selected Iowa State edge Will McDonald IV with the 15th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. But that wasn’t the highlight of the night for the Jets.
The highlight was the person who announced the pick and officially welcomed McDonald to the Jets. Typically, commissioner Roger Goodell makes the call in the first round. But the Jets went and did a really cool thing by granting a wish to 13-year-old Kyle Stickles through the Make-A-Wish program.
Stickles, who was diagnosed with bone cancer in 2020, got to live out every fan’s dream of being up on the draft stage and announcing a team’s pick. But Stickles did more than just announce the Jets’ pick. He left a lasting impression. With the Jets’ pick in and Roger Goodell introducing him to announce the selection, Stickles threw his arms in the air screaming “Let’s Go! Let’s Go!”
When he confidently stepped behind the microphone,
Stickles enthusiastically announced, “With the 15th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the J-E-T-S, Jets! Jets! Jets! select Will McDonald, linebacker, Iowa State. Let’s Go! Yeah! Let’s Go!” The fired-up youngster immediately became a viral sensation on social media. Jets center Connor McGovern was one of many who appreciated his enthusiasm: In fact, you didn’t need to be a Jets player nor fan of the team to appreciate Kyle’s passion.
Stickles was diagnosed with bone cancer in his left leg in 2020 and received chemotherapy until June 2021. He regained the ability to walk after extensive physical therapy.
He appeared at a press conference with Jets coach Robert Saleh and general manager
Joe Douglas after the Aaron Rodgers trade earlier in the week. He continued to make the most of life with his special moment Thursday at the 2023 NFL Draft. As for the selection,
New York adds to its already loaded defensive group with the McDonald selection.
Jets – Packers, Aaron Rodgers trade grades: Who won the deal? (usatoday.com)
Tags: Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets, NFL Draft