Cub's Rizzo sends touching letter to boy battling leukemia

Image 1 of 2

(Julie Fennell/Flickr)

CHICAGO (FOX 32 News) - Even if you're not a fan of the Chicago Cubs, you might find it hard to not be impressed by their hard-hitting first baseman.

Two-year-old Parker Hopkins of Muscatine, Iowa was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia on August 13, 2016, just two months shy of his second birthday. So his parkents, Kiefer and Jordan Hopkins, reached out to Anthony Rizzo after receiving the devastating news and he stepped up.

Rizzo, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma when he was 18, sent Parker a letter of encourgement, sharing his story about his own battle with cancer along with some advice.

"I too had to face this tough time in my life with courage," Rizzo said in the letter. "I believe that by staying positive, I actually felt better and ultimately won my battle against cancer. I know that you too can do the same."

Enclosed with the letter was a $2,500 donation for Parker. Rizzo has gone on to set up the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation to support children battling cancer.

A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help cover medical expenses for Parker. You can follow Parker’s story on Facebook at Parker Strong.