Liam Hendriks has been through it all in the last year, from throwing in the All-Star game to suddenly fighting stage four cancer. He was fortunate to beat Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma after a months long battle with the potentially fatal disease in the offseason, and was honored with the Jimmy V award for Perseverance at the ESPYs.
Hendriks received an emotional standing ovation from the crowd packed with stars at the 2023 ESPYs, after concluding his inspirational speech about his cancer battle. Hendriks returned to the mound just months after beating the disease, receiving a massive eruption from the White Sox crowd as well.
A standing ovation for the incredible Liam Hendriks. 👏❤️ pic.twitter.com/IqA1ti6xox
— The V Foundation (@TheVFoundation) July 13, 2023
Hendriks encouraged the viewers to reach out to those who may be struggling with cancer or any other illness, saying one simple text could be the difference that lifts someone's spirit and helps them keep fighting.
He concluded his speech by echoing Jimmy V's legendary line. Valvano delivered the speech as he faced terminal cancer, passing away only two months after the fact. Yet he still fought until the end and inspired millions, as well as kickstarting the V foundation for cancer research.
“Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up,” Hendriks said. “And I won’t.”
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