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Philadelphia is buzzing right now with excitement and celebration. This weekend the City of Brotherly Love hosts WWE’s NXT and the Royal Rumble. Next week, the home team, Philadelphia Eagles, head to Super Bowl LII in hopes of bringing the city’s first championship home. While all the celebration, and anticipation of the upcoming events fill the streets of the city, one little girl wants nothing more than to just go home.
Samarra Pirrong, better known as Sammy, rests in a hospital bed at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia from issues stemming from her fight against cancer. Sammy has a form of kidney cancer, known as Wilm’s Tumor. Sammy has had numerous treatments and surgeries to help rid her body of this disease and continues her courageous fight, often with a smile on her face. During Sammy’s current stay at CHOP, she has been arranging to have Mickey and Minnie Mouse balloons delivered to other children on her floor in an attempt to brighten their day. Happy, brave, generous, caring and warrior are just a few adjectives that appropriately describe the young Ms. Pirrong.
Surrounded by loving friends and family, her mother Theresa is the leader of team Sammy. While Sammy is often playing games with her brother Ben and sister Mara, her parents (including her amazing step-father), grandparents, relatives and school bffs, it’s difficult for any 10 year old girl to find any excitement from a hospital room. One of Sammy’s favorite forms of entertainment is professional wrestling. Sammy has been a special guest of Ring of Honor, independent wrestling promotion, Aspire Pro Wrestling as well sitting ringside for a recent Smackdown Live! In Newark, NJ courtesy of the WWE. Anyone and everyone that has the privilege to meet this little superstar, immediately falls in love with Sammy’s amazing personality. Sammy has been able to meet and befriend numerous wrestling personalities but her one true hero, the source of her love of pro wrestling, is Monday Night Raw’s Bayley.
One may think, when the WWE can take an opportunity to get some positive publicity these days, they’d take every chance at promoting the event. Not today. Concluding what one can politely call a ‘rough’ week full of tests and unfortunately more pain than any child should have to endure, there was a hug at the end of the tunnel.
WWE star, former Women’s champion, and current hero, Bayley decided to pay a visit to her friend Sammy while in town for WWE’s Royal Rumble event. If only for a short while, pain changed to excitement and disbelief as Bayley entered Sammy’s hospital room baring gifts for her new friend. Bayley presented Sam with her very own WWE Raw Women’s championship belt, autographed by a handful of the female superstars of the WWE. Bayley taking time out of her busy day to visit Samarra, not for press, promotion or because it was her job, but because she truly cares, means more to Sammy and her family than Bayley can ever realize.
It is often said, never meet your hero, you’ll just be disappointed. Bayley proved that statement wrong. Sammy’s mother Theresa was so thankful her little girl was filled with so much joy as a result of Bayley’s visit. “She (Sammy) was crying so much. Happy tears. She is so overwhelmed and so happy”.
Thank you Bayley. Her hugs, caring personality and genuine love of her fans is not a gimmick. Bayley is a real life hero, living her dream and making little girls around the world proud. Thank you Bayley.
If you would like to help Sammy and her family, there is a gofundme account at www.gofundme.com\sammy-strong
Use the hashtag #SammyStrong to send your thoughts, well wishes and to read all about Sammy’s journey.
Let’s see what we can do to get one of this one of a kind little girl nominated for the 2018 Warrior Award!
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