Meet Aaron.

In the fall of 2015, his grandfather, who gave him his love of the baseball, began losing his bladder cancer. It was the Mets’ playoff run from that season that helped him get through.

Tell me your story. 

My grandfather was the heart of my family. He taught us to love sports, lean on each other, and how to pick ourselves up when we were down. To his 19 grandchildren, the man could do no wrong; we adored him. When he began to lose his four-year battle with bladder cancer in the fall of 2015, we were crushed.

On October 8th my grandfather was hospitalized. My cousins and I did not know what to expect when we visited him. It was so hard to see him helpless in that hospital bed. Upset and frightened, we went to my aunt’s house. The Mets’ first playoff game since 2006 was on and we knew where Grandpa would want us to be.

The first few innings were nerve wracking, no runs, barely any hits. Finally Daniel Murphy hit a home run and gave the Mets the lead. Then the Dodgers tied the game and the nerves started again. With bases loaded in the seventh, beloved Met David Wright hit a base hit up the middle and they regained the lead. We went to bed thrilled with the victory after a long, confusing day.

As October passed my Grandpa got worse and the Mets got better. I spent my days praying that my Grandpa would live and my nights celebrating each Met win. They beat the Dodgers in the NLDS and swept the Cubs to become League Champions. The Mets entered their first World Series since 2000 looking unbeatable.

Meanwhile my grandfather was fighting his own battle and losing. October 27th was a particularly rough day for him. It was also the first day of the fall classic. The whole family watched as the unthinkable happened. Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar hit a leadoff inside the park homerun; this was going to be a tough game. Although the Mets led heading into the 9th, Alex Gordon tied it. Five innings later Eric Hosmer hit a walk off sacrifice fly. I felt sick. It was only Game 1 but I sensed they were going to lose.

The next day my grandpa was moved to hospice and the Mets lost again. We knew it was over not only for the Mets but for my grandfather. Grandpa passed away at 12:12 on October 31st, ironically, only minutes after the Mets won Game 3. It was horrible. The man who taught me to love sports and the New York Mets was gone and I was lost.

After losing Game 4, the Mets had one last chance. Matt Harvey was on the mound and was unhittable…until the 9th. The Royals broke through and Jeurys Familia came on. One out and a runner at third. Salvador Perez hit a ground ball to David Wright. Out at first and Lucas Duda threw home and… threw it away! The game was tied. Seconds later I burst into tears. Everything that happened that month flashed before my eyes. I cried myself to sleep that night after the Mets lost Game 5, 7-2.

It was over.

The next morning we drove to Long Island for the funeral.

October 2015 was the worst month of my life. The year would end without my Grandpa and without a World Series title but life went on. It amazes me how quickly life can change. As crazy as that month was I am grateful for the memories of that series. I am grateful for my family; we really are a team. I am especially grateful for my Grandpa who gave me my love for baseball and my dream of becoming a sports broadcaster.

That’s a lot of heartbreak at once. Would you still say that the Mets helped you get through that loss?

Absolutely! They really carried me through the whole month of October. Every day was a battle for sure but every night was incredible. 2015 was really the first time I got to watch the Mets in the postseason because I was only six when the Mets made the playoffs back then. It was incredible and I’ve been dying to see the Mets back there since.

Since 2015, has your relationship with the Mets changed, for better or for worse?

My relationship with this team gets better every year. I am currently a broadcasting major at SUNY Oswego and to be able to talk to them on the school’s radio station is an amazing feeling to me.

Is there anything in particular you now do (baseball related) to honor your grandfather’s memory?

I don’t do anything specifically but anytime the Mets have a crazy win or go on an insane run like they did last year I always like to think my grandfather is watching from above and smiling at not just me but my entire family as well. It just makes every time the Mets win so much sweeter.

Do you have a story you want to share about how the Mets helped you through a difficult time? We want to hear it – DM us on Twitter.