Boy, 7, lives dream as Gorman football player for a day

By Taylor Bern

Thursday, May 14, 2015 | 2 a.m.

Thaddeus Thatcher sat at his locker in Bishop Gorman’s facilities, donned a blue No. 1 jersey and emerged from an inflatable tunnel to lead the Gaels onto Fertitta Field while more than 1,000 people cheered from the stands. It was everything the 7-year-old wished for, because the Gael for a Day scored a touchdown, celebrated on the top of linemen’s shoulders and then learned that Make-A-Wish Southern Nevada was also going to send his family and him to Disney World.

“I think he’s having the time of his life right now,” said his mother, Chrissie Thatcher.

Thaddeus Thatcher was diagnosed with leukemia Oct. 22 and is in the midst of a three-and-a-half-year treatment program, his mother said. She knows the scheduled end date by heart — Feb. 2, 2018 — because it can’t come soon enough.

Treatment has meant a lot of days cooped up in a hospital, dreaming of brighter days ahead. Wednesday was one of those days.

Thaddeus Thatcher wants to one day be the quarterback at Gorman, so before unveiling his trip to Disney World, the Make-A-Wish Southern Nevada team contacted the Gaels about making that happen. The result was an afternoon as the program’s VIP.

Though he didn’t always seem sure what to make of all the attention, Thaddeus Thatcher looked at home standing at his locker talking to first-year coach Kenny Sanchez about the Gaels’ overtime victory against Bingham last season. Thaddeus Thatcher shook hands with every player and then, after donning his new jersey, led the team out on the field while his name flashed across the video board and the students and supporters went wild.

“It hits home right away when you come out and see the student body all dressed in orange filling the stands and the way our kids embraced the whole thing. It’s a special moment,” Sanchez said.

On the field, Thaddeus Thatcher lined up in the backfield and took a handoff from his favorite player, Tate Martell, and went all the way to the house while dodging defenders who fell over themselves trying to make the tackle. A PA announcer was calling the play, and when Thaddeus Thatcher crossed the goal line, the crowd again erupted.

“That they take time out of their day to make his day a little bit better is really wonderful,” Chrissie Thatcher said.

Why is Martell his favorite player? Easy.

“He’s the quarterback,” Thaddeus Thatcher said.

After Thaddeus Thatcher's touchdown, offensive linemen Julio Garcia and Jaron Caldwell put him up on their shoulders and took him for a victory lap, keeping him there for a rendition of the school’s fight song. Sanchez has yet to coach his first game since taking over for his brother, Tony, who’s now at UNLV, but he already got some perspective on what the program means to those outside of campus.

“It’s going to be a memory forever,” Sanchez said. “We get wrapped up in our own lives … we’ve got to remind ourselves and I’m going to remind our kids all the time that football’s tough, but it’s nowhere near as hard as what life can bring to you.”

Thaddeus Thatcher got the full athlete treatment, including a crowd of cameras that he admitted made him nervous. Yet when asked how he started his day, Thaddeus Thatcher offered up a dry response that would make San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich proud.

“Waking up,” he said.

By the time he went to bed he had a dream fulfilled, and another trip is still to come. The long, rough treatment process has taken a toll on the Thatcher family, but part of what has helped Thaddeus get through it was wishing for a day like this one.

“Times when he was really feeling down, we could talk about his wish and what he hoped he was going to get and it would really brighten his day and help him get through one more day,” Chrissie Thatcher said.

Taylor Bern can be reached at 948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Taylor on Twitter at twitter.com/taylorbern.