Gemma's Giants
Courtesy photos Gemma Farrell with her mother Chelsea Hoffman in their Giants jerseys. Gemma was recently diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
New York Giants players (from top left clockwise): Eli Apple, Mark Herzlich, RJ McIntosh and Saquon Barkley show off the #teamgemmagrace shirts that Gemma Farrell’s grandmother Stacey Hoffman sent to them. The shirts have been used as a encouragement for Gemma and her family, as well as a fundraiser.
Throughout the Silver Valley, people may have noticed locals wearing shirts that say ‘It Takes A Village’ or ‘We Are The Village’ with #teamgemmagrace printed on the back over the past few months.
These shirts were created in support of local child Gemma Farrell, who was diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis earlier this year.
Each shirt has been worn with pride in support of young Gemma, but recently the shirts found their way into the hands of some pretty high-profile athletes.
Gemma’s family are fans of the National Football League’s New York Giants and Gemma’s grandmother Stacey Hoffman thought that she’d try calling them and seeing if there was anything that they could do in support of Gemma to cheer her up.
“I didn’t expect them to even answer the phone,” Hoffman said. “When a person answered the phone I was so surprised I was shaking.”
The representative from the Giants was instantly taken with Hoffman’s story about her granddaughter and they told her to send the shirts to them.
“Cassie (the representative from the Giants) told me she couldn’t guarantee a picture with a player, but she would at least go take a picture of them in MetLife Stadium,” Hoffman said. Seven days after mailing the shirts, I got an email with four pictures from Cassie. I was so excited. It made my day.”
The four pictures Hoffman received were of Giants players Eli Apple, Mark Herzlich, RJ McIntosh and Saquon Barkley proudly holding up the shirts.
“I instantly recognized Saquon, but couldn't remember how,” Hoffman said (she and her husband Tom had just watched the NFL draft a few weeks earlier where the Giants selected Barkley with No. 2 overall pick). “I personally didn't know Mark Herzlich, but I read up on him and found out that he had cancer in his leg a few years ago, so I will most certainly be telling Gemma about his health struggle and let her know that he understands what it feels like to be sick.”
Gemma’s mom Chelsea Newby was so humbled by the Giants’ reaction, but also from the support that she has received from the community around her.
“They aren’t just her favorite team. Gemma knows who the players are and she knows everything about them. She loves Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr., and now she obviously loves Saquon Barkley,” Chelsea said. “The support is overwhelming. It’s the best feeling you can have as a parent to know that people want to support your child. I mean these are complete strangers who want nothing more than to lighten the burden on our daughter. It’s the most happy and blessed feeling you can have. All of the help and support we have gotten is just so unbelievable.”
The pictures have been kept secret from Gemma until today, because today is one of her ‘poke days’ where she has to go to the hospital to get one of her painful injected treatments.
“I wanted to surprise Gemma on her ‘poke day,” Hoffman said. “There is absolutely nothing I would not do to help Gemma feel better, even for just a moment, and this was just a random thing I thought of one day. I didn't expect it to work out, but now it will always be a cool childhood memory of when the Giants joined her village.”
Anyone who would like to order a #teamgemmagrace shirt may do so by contacting Hoffman at 208-512-0359 or by messaging the Facebook page Team Gemma Grace.