Mason Ferrulli autographed his very own San Francisco Giants baseball jersey on Thursday that will be displayed in the Manteca Ford dealership showroom with memorabilia from various sports figures.
It was part of a presentation to the 12-year-old Ferrulli who is battling brain cancer. The Ripon youth and his dad Kyle were also presented a check for $5,000 from Manteca Ford dealership owner Phil Waterford to help defray their family expenses during his upcoming surgery.
The signed number 23 jersey will be framed and placed in the showroom to honor Ferrulli who has bravely faced his cancer treatments.
Waterford and his entire staff gathered in the showroom of the North Main Street dealership to show their support for Ferrulli. Also present was Nathan Camacho, a cancer survivor who also lives in Ripon. Waterford explained that he had met Camacho in 1997 as a youngster when he was receiving a bone marrow transplant.
Waterford was taking part in an American Cancer Society of the Central Valley fundraiser in Modesto with the business contributing the most money getting to be put onto a billboard. Waterford recalls contributing the most at $15,000 but he didn’t want his face to go on the billboard. Instead he bought the youngster a dirt bike that his parents said he would ride in a field every day across from their home in Ripon. They said it kept him active and not thinking about his condition. Waterford had a copy of that photo Thursday afternoon with the boy wearing a suit at the fundraiser and sitting on the bike that brought back memories for both of them.
Camacho remarked Thursday that Waterford had messaged him and asked that he come to the dealership for the presentation to Ferrulli.
Ferrulli first diagnosed with cancer a year ago. Surgeries appeared to have totally removed the tumor, according to his dad, but it reemerged again this year. Another cancer surgery is now on the horizon. Ferrulli is the second Weston Elementary School student to be stricken with cancer in recent years.
Ferrulli is has been home schooled since his first bout with cancer and his surgery at Children’s Hospital in the Bay Area. A donation site has been set up at GoFundMe.com through Facebook where Ripon and Manteca residents can help with the family’s medical, home and travel expenses.
At the end of the ceremony there was a toast of sparkling cider that everyone enjoyed with Ferrulli hesitating thinking it was some form of alcohol.
Waterford hosted Ferrulli family to a trip to the Bay Area where Mason got to meet many of the professional sports players in San Francisco and Oakland and get their autographs.
To contact Glenn Kahl, email gkahl@mantecabulletin.com.
