Anthony Rizzo, Chicago Cubs First Basemen, Forms Bond With Teen Battling Cancer

Chicago Cubs first baseman, Anthony Rizzo, had the chance to meet 14-year-old Adrianna Fernandes, earlier this year. At the time, Fernandes was undergoing chemo for optic nerve glioma, a cancer that had caused her to lose sight in her left eye. Since then, the two have gone on to form a special bond.

While Rizzo has become an All-Star on the diamond--his big bat and steady glove make him a deadly two-way threat--it's his off the field endeavors that are making even bigger impacts. During the season, Rizzo was a regular visitor to Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago. In the offseason, he has his own foundation--the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation--that holds an annual "Walk-Off for Cancer" in his hometown of Parkland, Fla.

Being able to be on the platform he is, and give back to people battling cancer is something Rizzo holds near and dear to his heart. In 2008, while playing in the minor leagues in the Boston Red Sox organization, Rizzo was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, via Yahoo! Sports. He was able to beat it. Because of his own battle, he knows just much a little support and encouragement can mean to patients. Patients like Adrianna Fernandes.

Adrianna, affectionately known as Addie, had the chance to be in Italy as part of a Make-A-Wish gift. However, it conflicted with to Rizzo's "Walk-Off for Cancer." She chose Rizzo's walk instead--an event that was able to raise $215,000 and push the total money raised by the foundation to more than $1 million.

"I said, 'Guess what's coming up? It's the walk,'" Addie said of a conversation she had with her mother, via MLB.com. "I wanted to come to the walk and Make-A-Wish made it better, and we got to go to Disney [World in Orlando, Fla.] and hang out."

"He puts a smile on her face," Addie's mother Lisa Morello said of Rizzo, via MLB.com. "For us, it's like being with family."

The walk was the sixth time Rizzo and Addie were able to get together, according to MLB.com. When asked why she chose Rizzo's walk over a trip to Italy she had this to say:

"I wanted to come here because I wanted to give back to Anthony," Addie said, via MLB.com. "I've met him so many times and he's done so much for me and my family, so I wanted to give back and walk this walk."

It's safe to say she did just that.