LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – During their run through the playoffs, the Paseo Verde Little League team has been inspired by a local ten-year-old who plays in their league an age level below them.
“This is all for him,” Paseo Verde pitcher Gunner Gaudin told FOX5. “I’m playing for him. I’m sure the team is, too.”
Colston Delk, who played in the 10U team for Paseo Verde, was diagnosed with stage four Neuroblastoma in April.
“It started in my right leg and then it moved to my stomach,” Delk explained. “They cut open my stomach and took the cancer out, so it’s just in my bone marrow right now.”
Although recovery from a recent surgery has gone well, five trips up to Salt Lake City for chemotherapy have been less promising.
“We did get the results back from his tumor, and they did have 95% of the cells were still alive, which means that chemo wasn’t as effective as we were hoping for,” Colston’s mom Samantha Delk said.
Samantha is amazed by Colston’s fight and optimism.
“He’s never once complained,” she said. “Never has felt sorry for himself. Never has been, ‘My life sucks.’”
The Delks have had to adjust their lives, including 13-year-old big sister Addison, who recalled how much her interactions with her little brother have changed in such a short amount of time.
“It’s always been jumping on the trampoline, or drawing, or coloring or playing games,” she said tearfully. “And now it’s sitting in the hospital holding his hand or reading a book. It’s just a big change because it’s hard to see someone like that in the hospital.”
Despite the immense hardship, Samantha has seen Colston’s spirit lifted by the Paseo Verde team.
“They’ve always asked about Colston and anything that they can do for him,” she said. “They’ve always been there.”
Colston has also gotten close with another team — Major League Baseball’s Los Angeles Angels.
“I got to meet all of the Angels players and the team, and so that was really nice of them,” Colston said.
Colston is a catcher, like Logan O’Hoppe, who mans the backstop for the Angels. The Delk family gave O’Hoppe a customized shirt with “#ColstonStrong” emblazoned on it.
“We called him the other day, and he’s been wearing the shirt ever since he got it,” Colston said, smiling. “For players’ weekend, he customized cleats for me and he wore them.”
Colston plans on getting back out on the field soon.
“The doctor said if I feel good by the end of December or January, I can probably play baseball again,” he said.
While he’s recovering, Colston watches every Angels game, and has also seen every Paseo Verde game since their tournament run started.
Those 12-year-olds on the team are keeping Colston in their hearts as they vie for a world title.
“Keep chugging, buddy,” Gaudin said in a message to Colston at the end of an interview with FOX5. “Keep fighting the battles. Keep fighting and you’ll come out on top.”
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