Wish Come True: Cancer Patient to Announce Patriots Draft Pick
On the surface, Ben Lepper appears to be an average young man from New England. Hailing from outside Boston, the amateur musician is humble, good-natured and always cheering on his beloved New England Patriots.
Sadly, Lepper has also been battling leukemia since 2019.
As he bravely fights the deadly disease, Lepper was recently provided the opportunity of which most Patriots fans dream. Earlier this month, he was granted a "wish" by Make-A-Wish, which included the opportunity to tour Gillette Stadium, participate in a video call with quarterback Mac Jones and be "drafted" by the Patriots, complete with a special jersey adorning his name by awarded by team owner and CEO Robert Kraft.
He will also travel to Las Vegas, Nevada for Thursday's 2022 NFL Draft, where he will announce New England’s second-round draft choice alongside Patriots' 2021 Walter Payton Man of the Year and defensive tackle Lawrence Guy.
Throughout his ordeal, Lepper has remained brave and positive. He has also been vocal in saying that his fandom of the Patriots has helped him in maintaining his optimism. In a social media post from 2019, Lepper explained his battle, and shared some good news about his prognosis:
“I was diagnosed with ALL (acute lymphoblastic leukemia). For those who don't know, leukemia is a type of blood cancer. The type I have is caused by an error in my bone marrow which created an influx of white blood cells. This is not good. With all that being said, it is treatable and it is curable, especially where I am. It is going to be a long and hard journey, but according to my doctors, I should be okay.”
(cred: New England Patriots)
NFL Communications also announced on Monday that inspirational fans from around the country will join the NFL at this year's draft to share the stage and their stories of strength, resilience and love of football. This year, fans joining Round 1, Round 2 and Round 3 come from organizations such as Make-A-Wish, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), the National Gay Flag Football League and more. These individuals will take the stage and announce Draft picks throughout the three-day celebration in Las Vegas in front of thousands of fans.
Day 3 of the Draft will also include picks from international locations in Brazil, Germany, Mexico and the UK including the Miami Dolphins from Rio de Janeiro's Christ the Redeemer statue, the New York Jets from The Shard in London, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from Munich, site of the first NFL regular-season game in Germany which will take place this fall and feature the Buccaneers.
