Bumped. GO BRUINS. -N

There were certainly quite a few reasons for joy this weekend at Pauley.  We saw a team come together and play with heart and trust in each other.  We saw a coach adapt to his personnel and not allow what they cannot do interfere with what they can do.  And on a personal note, I'm happy to report that the WSU game also marked the first pac-10 game that my son Tyler was able to attend this season:

As a quick background for those who aren't familiar:  my seven year-old son Tyler has been battling cancer for almost three years now.  His latest relapse necessitated a bone marrow transplant this past fall.  Through it all, our family has been fortunate enough to be surrounded with an overwhelming amount of care and support, not least of which came from many within the Bruin family.  Tyler is a diehard fan of all things UCLA and for months has been asking his doctor when he could attend some games again.  Unfortunately, Tyler's had to deal with some lingering effects from the transplant which have limited him physically, however he started to show some noticeable improvement over the last few weeks and appears to have finally (fingers crossed) turned a corner on his road to recovery.  As a result, at his last doctor's appointment, his doctor gleefully told him that he was no longer restricted from either crowds or activities.  Of course, the first thing he wanted to do was go to a UCLA game!

Since it was a special occasion, I bought some front row baseline seats.  This turned out to be a great decision because he was immediately visible to the adviser of the spirit squad, Mollie, and she was so excited to see him again that she gave him the royal treatment.

First, the cheer squad and Joe and Josie came over to visit. And then the dance team spent some time with Tyler:

Then the yell crew came by and asked Tyler if he'd lead an 8 clap:

Then once the game ended, Mollie took him out to sing the alma mater:

And then of course, it was time to dance!

They certainly made him feel like part of the UCLA family.

It was a day to celebrate, indeed.

Go Bruins!

P.S. If anyone from the yell crew, cheer squad, or dance team is reading this, thank you once again for putting a huge smile on Tyler's face and creating yet another great memory.