HIALEAH, Fla. ā High School Junior Manny Reyes III has big dreams.
āTo become an NFL football player,ā he says.
But his passions to play were almost sidelined in the fall of 2018, when he started suffering from severe gastrointestinal problems.
āIt wouldnāt go away. I could take like everything, like everybody would say, āOh take this, thatā but it would never go away,ā he said
Doctors at Joe DiMaggio Childrenās hospital ultimately diagnosed him with Crohn's Disease, a chronic inflammation condition that affects the lining of the digestive tract and can sometimes cause life-threatening complications.
Manny developed several potentially cancerous growths in his colon and love over 30 pounds, but he never lost hope.
āI was thinking it was another obstacle for me to get where I want. Itās harder for me to gain weight, itās harder for me to get to the goals that I want to get to but everythingās possible,ā he said.
Daily doses of medication have helped put the disease in remission and in March Hialeah High Athletic Director Marc Bergman accepted Manny as the team quarterback.
Although the Coronavirus put his formal training on hold, he and his dad have developed their own sessions, keeping Mannyās dream alive while inspiring others.
āBeing the QB youāre on top youāre controlling the team you have to show everybody that when youāre down the team is down, when youāre up the team is up. Youāre the base of everybody, youāre the captain of the team on the field,ā the young Reyes said.
āHeās taken it up on himself you know itās something he has and he wants to show the world donāt give up no matter what obstacles are facing you,ā his father, Manny Jr., added.