Upper Deck, Carlsbad, Calif., recently created a baseball card for 9-year-old Notre Dame baseball fan Daniel Alexander, who has been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor.
After multiple surgeries and chemotherapy, Alexander’s mother enlisted the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation (FoJ), an organization that partners children with brain tumors with athletic teams. In 2013, Alexander was partnered with the Notre Dame baseball team.
“Daniel’s disposition changed immediately after being involved with the Notre Dame baseball team through Friends of Jaclyn,” says Karen Alexander, Daniel’s mother. “Daniel immediately clicked with these young men. He knew these athletes were going to give him the support he would need, but most importantly he was making friendships that would last a lifetime. FoJ was able to pair Daniel up with his love of baseball and his new love of Notre Dame Baseball. Being on this journey makes it so much more bearable when you know Daniel has 38 big brothers cheering for him!”
Upper Deck debuted Daniel’s baseball card at the National Sports Collectors Convention, and will produce several hundred of the cards, which can be donated for charitable purposes by the family. This marks the third trading card Upper Deck has created for brave young athletes involved in the FoJ program.
“We believe that Daniel’s Upper Deck baseball card will create hope for other kids and families struggling with brain cancer,” said Chris Carlin, senior marketing manager for Upper Deck. “He is an inspiration to others and we applaud his courage. He is certainly worthy of the honor of appearing on a baseball card and both Notre Dame and Friends of Jaclyn have been wonderful to work with throughout the process of bringing the card to life.”
Upper Deck, the exclusive licensor of Notre Dame collegiate licensed trading cards, plans to leverage its brand power to tell more stories with Friends of Jaclyn in the future to create awareness and funds for those battling this disease.
For more information, visit upperdeck.com. — J.L.