Wishes granted at THE PLAYERS for two sick boys

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Ian Poulter was one of several TOUR players who signed a pin flag for Danny Seymour and Jordan Paganelli.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- Exactly two years ago, Danny Seymour, then 11, was diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis, a life-threatening illness. No one knew quite what caused it -- it could be hereditary or triggered by a virus or bacteria -- but his immune system had started to attack his liver and his spleen grew so large that it was in danger of rupturing.

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Jordan Paganelli (left) is a 17-year-old cancer survivor.

About six months later, on the opposite end of the country, 17-year-old Jordan Paganelli found out he had a soft tissue cancer known as alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma. It was labeled as Stage IV, and the disease spread from his hip to his lungs, pelvic area and eventually his brain. He was given a 10 percent chance for survival.

Geographically, the two families couldn't be further apart, but they were brought together by a common bond in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., this week.

The Seymour family spent five hours driving from their home in eastern Oregon to Portland, then flew five more hours to Jacksonville for THE PLAYERS Championship. The Paganelli family traveled south from Pax River, Md., to TPC Sawgrass, and also arrived on Tuesday for a special week.

The excitement officially began on Wednesday, when the two boys and their families spent several hours next to the 17th hole tee box. Over 20 players, including Vijay Singh, Fred Couples, Davis Love III and Ian Poulter, stopped to visit, sign pin flags and take pictures with the families.

That night, the two families spent more time mingling with celebrities when they attended the Military Appreciation Day festivities. Both boys got a chance to meet former President George H.W. Bush, who was being honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award, and took priceless photos with the former Commander-in-Chief.

"That kind of thing doesn't happen in eastern Oregon," said Livia Seymour, Danny's mother. "It's been incredible. We've been treated like VIPs and everyone even knows our names."

A trip to the World Golf Hall of Fame on Friday was also on the itinerary. Danny was particularly excited about meeting actor Bill Murray's brother, who gave him a free t-shirt and a copy of "Caddyshack". Jordan was thrilled to see the new "Star Trek" film on the IMAX theater at the World Golf Hall of Fame.

And, of course, they've spent several hours at the golf course each day, though neither can spend too much time in the 90-degree heat.

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(l to r) Bob, Danny, Livia and Anna Seymour pose with a pin flag that was signed by over 20 players.

"It's been a whirlwind week and I'm tired after all of that," Danny said, during a break from watching golf on Saturday. "We've never had treatment quite like this."

The TOUR learned about Danny's situation through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. His condition forced him to give up soccer, basketball and baseball -- his enlarged spleen could have burst under contact -- so he picked up golf. After just three lessons, he won a tournament against kids his age and earned a $100 gift certificate to his local pro shop, where he bought a golf bag with his earnings and quickly became hooked.

Jordan had his own Make-A-Wish granted in March when the family spent 10 days in Italy. The trip to TPC Sawgrass for THE PLAYERS is just icing on the cake. Because the cancer started in his hip, doctors limited his mobility over a year ago to protect him from an injury. As a teenager, though, his father said a lack of freedom to walk and travel on his own took a toll on Jordan as much as the disease itself.

His father, John, was watching the 2008 Masters when he had an idea. Why not contact the TOUR and ask for a golf cart so that Jordan, who was sinking into a depression, could visit his friends? He cold-called the TOUR to explain his situation, heard back the very next day and had a golf cart from TPC Avenel within a week.

"That saved (Jordan's) life," John said. "It restored his teenage independence and was really important for his emotional and physical survival."

The TOUR invited them to THE PLAYERS in 2008, but the trip was postponed for a year until Jordan was able to travel. Now, the cancer is now under control after constant medical treatments, including seven weeks of daily chemotherapy on his torso plus five weeks of daily chemo on his brain.

"We do trips like this to create memories in case he doesn't survive," John said. "The cancer could come back next week, next month, next year or he could live an entire lifetime. We just want him to live life to the fullest."