MISSION VIEJO, Calif. (WVUE) – Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees this week paid a surprise visit to a devoted Saints fan living out his final days at a hospice care facility in Southern California.
According to social media posts from the Southern California Hospice Foundation, a 48-year-old man identified as Eddie likely has 1-2 weeks to live after being diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor and undergoing four surgeries in the past month that were unable to improve his prognosis.
The initial post last Tuesday said Eddie had been transferred to the Heavenly Home hospice in Mission Viejo, an Orange County community between Los Angeles and San Diego. It said Eddie was originally from New Orleans, has always been a devoted fan of the Saints, and especially admired Brees. The post said one of his final wishes was simply to meet an NFL player.
Several NFL players — including current Saints quarterback Tyler Shough — saw the request and responded with video messages to Eddie. And Drew Brees’ wife Brittany direct messaged Eddie’s caregivers and wife to ask how she could help.
A second video, posted Friday, showed the result: Drew and Brittany Brees meeting Eddie, his wife Natasha and their two teen sons, one of whom is nonverbal autistic.
Drew threw passes to the boys, and even soft-tossed a ball to Eddie, so that he could also catch a pass from the Pro Football Hall of Famer.
A cousin of Eddie’s later wrote on her blog that the quarterback and his wife “arrived with smiles and greeted each of us individually. They talked with the family about football, New Orleans, children, school and interests. They brought no cameras, publicists or agendas. Only kindness and love.”
She added, “Natasha has beautifully articulated that they are in the process of holding grief and joy in their hearts all at once. And that is exactly what this day was. Grief for the person we love and joy for the light that shone through the darkness through a visit from two people who did not have to care about a family they do not know, but they did.”
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