John Cena won’t let a pandemic stop him from granting wishes

The coronavirus pandemic has made a lot of things difficult or impossible. Surprise visits to kids with cancer are surely on that list. But with some help from the local fire department, John Cena donned his “Superman costume” - accessorized with a face mask and surgical gloves - to bring some birthday joy to sick young man.

As reported by Tampa Bay’s NBC affiliate WFLA, Cena surprised seven year old David Castle at his home in Odessa, Florida this weekend. Last November, Castle was diagnosed with a Wilms tumor - a type of childhood cancer which starts in the kidneys. Heading into his eighth birthday on Sun., May 10, David is already in stage four of his disease; the tumor has spread to other areas of his body.

Months of tests and surgeries, with months of radiation and chemotherapy in his future... that’s a lot for anyone, let alone a seven year old. An unexpected visit from his favorite wrestler, bearing armloads of early birthday presents? That’s the good stuff.

Cena lives in Tampa, so he probably didn’t have to travel far to make David’s wish come true. But he probably did have to get tested (or retested) for COVID-19, among other hoops he probably had to jump through to to pull this off in these unprecedented times.

Again, that’s the good stuff. From a guy who’s made it his business to do good stuff for young people who need it - no matter the circumstances.