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Bills CB Kaiir Elam Inspires 9-Year-Old Fan Battling Cancer

The Buffalo rookie gifted the young girl a custom pair of shoes.

Madison Williams

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Bills cornerback Kaiir Elam made sure to make time for one of his biggest fans ahead of the Bills–Dolphins wild-card game on Sunday: 9-year-old Sophia Benintende.

Benintende is battling a form of cancer called sarcoma, and her favorite player is the rookie Elam. She’s met the cornerback before, but Sunday’s game was extra special. 

In a video posted by the Bills, Elam hugged Benintende and then presented her with custom shoes decorated in Bills colors. Elam signed the shoes before giving them back to Benintende. The 9-year-old couldn’t wipe the smile off her face.

Then, the two posed with a poster made by Benintende that said “Let me tell you ‘bout my best friend,” covered in photos of the two of them together.

The two first met each other last month at the Hamburg Fairgrounds Festival of Lights event hosted by the Bills. Elam spent time with Benintende, learning about her cancer battle, and he instantly was inspired by her.

In turn, Elam instantly became Benintende’s favorite Bills player. 

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Madison Williams
MADISON WILLIAMS

Madison Williams is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where she specializes in tennis but covers a wide range of sports from a national perspective. Before joining SI in 2022, Williams worked at The Sporting News. Having graduated from Augustana College, she completed a master’s in sports media at Northwestern University. She is a dog mom and an avid reader.

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