‘I don’t give up’: Royals super fan with ALS inspires team on MLB’s Lou Gehrig Day

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - On Sunday, the Royals honored Lou Gehrig Day as part of Major League Baseball’s league-wide tribute to one of the greatest players to ever play the game.

Gehrig ed away due to complications of ALS at just 37 years old. The day is meant to raise funds and awareness to help find a cure for ALS.

In Kansas City, Lou Gehrig Day means a little bit more to the Royals. One die-hard fan, Sarah Na, has formed a close bond with the team, and her fight against ALS inspires the boys in blue.

Na was diagnosed with ALS seven years ago. Doctors gave her just two to five years to live, but she didn’t like that timetable. To this day, she continues to defy the odds.

“I don’t give up,” Na told KCTV5 on Sunday afternoon. “I’ve just trained my mind to see the positive in everything. Focus on what I can do, rather than what I can’t do. I think that mindset is what has carried me so far because I’m just so grateful to be here.”

Na has loved the Royals since she was a child and attended as many as 40 games a season. After her diagnosis with ALS, she met George Brett, and thus her relationship with the Royals began.

“It’s crazy,” she said. “I never would have dreamed of having these friendships with these guys.”

This spring, the Royals invited Na to address the team at Spring Training. Her message is one the team won’t soon forget.

“Inspiring,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said when asked about Na. “The way she goes about things, the way she lives her life, not feeling sorry for herself and trying to help other people, it’s really something we should all aspire to be and how to live.”

The former Kansas City Police Department (KD) officer calls Kauffman Stadium her “happy place.” She and the Royals have formed a relationship that benefits all parties involved.

“I’ve become such good friends with the players,” Na said. “I lift them up when they’re going through a struggle, and they do the same for me.”

Make no mistake about it – Na’s story, and all those fighting ALS, have made a big impression on the Royals.

“There is no timetable, but they are always fighting and they always have a positive mindset on life and it’s just really great to see,” said Bobby Witt, Jr. “It opens our eyes to how we go through things each and every day, we get upset about not performing well, and they’re just out there grinding at life and enjoying life.”

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