‘The hope of Carson' and what Wentz meant to one boy battling cancer

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Being a sports fan can bring out the cynics in all of us. Writing about sports on the Internet often desensitizes many of us to what sports can actually mean to people. But there’s no denying the emotion this story about young Lukas Kusters made me feel.

It’s a story by ESPN about a young kid from Delaware, his passion for football, his love of the Philadelphia Eagles and Carson Wentz, his battle with cancer, and what his bond with a certain quarterback meant to both of them.

Lukas was known as “The Dutch Destroyer” because of his wildly impressive performance on the football field. He was diagnosed with cancer in April of 2016 at 8 years old and went on the fight of his life against it.

Lukas turned to his Eagles fandom and their young quarterback as a source of inspiration.

“We spent a lot of time talking about [Wentz] while we were in the hospital,” Lukas’ mother said. “And the idea of ‘the hope of Carson’ and what it meant for the Eagles was just another piece of inspiration for Lukas in his continued drive to get back on the field himself.”

Lukas received a special video message in his hospital bed from Wentz. It is impossible not to get emotional watching what it meant to Lukas.

The Make-a-Wish Foundation got involved and asked Lukas if there was anything he most wanted to do, and the youngster’s response was that he simply wanted to thank Carson.

Lukas got the opportunity to spend the day at the Eagles’ facility with Carson and he got to do just that, giving Wentz one of his Dutch Destroyer bracelets in the process.

Lukas lost his battle with cancer and was buried in his Wentz jersey. But if you’ve noticed Wentz’s wrist this season, you’ll see that Dutch Destroyer bracelet.

“It’s so much deeper than football,” Wentz said. “It’s so much more than just a game.”

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