Last fall on Halloween, while most children were out in their neighborhoods trick-or-treating and enjoying candy, then-7-year-old Silas was in the hospital.
For the typically energetic boy who loves football (Go Birds!), WWE, running around, making people laugh, and being the center of attention, a hospital room was not where he was wanting to spend his holiday.
Then, one of his Penn wrestling teammates, Davis Motyka, showed up.
Davis brought candy. They played video games, laughed, and sent a photo of Silas in his Superman costume to coach. For a little while, with Davis by his side, Silas’ hospital room felt more like a hangout spot than a hospital stay.
“I’m not sure Davis realizes how much that small gesture meant,” Silas’ mom, Bridgette, said. “Silas talks all the time about how Davis visited him at the hospital. It really made that visit feel easier. He doesn’t get many visitors and can feel cut off when admitted. I think this visit from Davis made him feel a little closer to the outside world that day.”
For Silas, hospital stays were unfortunately not uncommon. Silas was diagnosed at birth with sickle cell disease (SCD). Bridgette recalls struggling to come to terms with Silas’ diagnosis, navigating the healthcare system as a parent of a child with a chronic health condition, and wondering what her son’s future might look like. “However, I think the hardest part has been showing Silas he is a regular 8-year-old whose blood is just a little different,” she said. Silas was struggling with feeling like he is different and like he got the short end of the stick in life. He was questioning why this happened to him. “I think that’s the part they don’t or can’t tell you about,” Bridgette said. “The emotional part. The doctors prepare you for the hospital visits, doctors’ appointments, and all the logistics, but I don’t think anyone can really prepare you for the emotional aspect of having sickle cell and having a child with sickle cell.”
Bridgette said planning life around Silas’ diagnosis has also been a challenge. “I had been scared to pursue certain career paths because his sickle cell can be very unpredictable, and he could end up hospitalized frequently without notice,” she said. Eventually, Silas and his family became more accustomed to their new normal of hospital admissions and doctors’ visits. They learned what to watch for and how to take steps to try to avoid pain crises. “We refuse to let sickle cell run his life,” Bridgette said. “It’s something he has, not who he is.”
Who Silas is is determined, hard-working, and resilient. “He is super smart and picks up on things quickly,” his mom said, “and if he doesn’t pick up on it quickly, he has a lot of determination and will try until he gets it.” These parts of his personality have come even more to the surface since becoming a Quaker in June 2025. “Silas has become a little more outgoing since joining the Penn wrestling team,” Bridgette said. “He also has become more open to trying new things. He originally did not want to do wrestling because he didn’t know much about it, but now he enjoys going to their practices and games and learning about it.”
Though wrestling may not have been Silas’ first choice sport, it did not take him long to feel part of the team. “Wrestling was a brand new sport to Silas, so when their relationship began, it felt like there was a lot to learn about something so new,” said Grace Lerro, Silas and Penn wrestling’s Team IMPACT Case Manager. Silas’ first visit with his new teammates was a back-to-school pool party picnic, which proved to be the perfect way to show the positive and welcoming nature of Penn wrestling’s team culture. “From there, his interest in wrestling grew because he loved being around his teammates so much,” Grace said. “He began looking forward to any practice and match days he could make it out to. One of his coaches even connected him with a local youth wrestling program to keep his connection to the sport growing.”
“It’s nice to have a team of people there supporting you and your child,” Bridgette said. “Team IMPACT isn’t just about your child learning a new sport or joining a team. It’s also about building a small support group.”
That support group has been there for Silas through many ups and downs over the last few months. “Over the course of Silas’ match, he’s unfortunately experienced many unexpected illnesses and hospital stays,” Grace shared. “The team has been so accommodating, always understanding of changes in plans, and eager to pivot and provide support.” From Davis’ Halloween hangout to check-ins from coach, Silas and Bridgette know the team is always there with kind words and unwavering support. “We ended up with a great team, and the coach even checks in with me mentally during Silas’s admissions and multiple doctor visits,” Bridgette said. “Even outside of the team, we have the support of Grace who has been so sweet to us. She checks in and is just a listening ear if I need it.”
During one of these calls with Grace, Bridgette shared a recent memory with the team.
“Silas recently had to miss a hangout with the team because he was just discharged from the hospital and wasn’t feeling up to their ice cream plans,” Grace said. “Coaches jumped right in, gathering get well videos from the team and letting Silas know they can’t wait to see him as soon as he’s up for it.”
“Silas has always taken to ‘kids’ older than him,” Bridgette said, “so this has been perfect for increasing his self-confidence. They treat him like he is one of them, and I appreciate them for that.”
When Silas is with the team, Grace says, he has a group of mentors and friends and a space where he can just simply be himself. “Team IMPACT provides a team and support system for children and teens living with sickle cell disease, and it’s also an escape from the day to day struggles they may be facing,” Grace said. “It’s not about a recent hospital trip or his daily medications. Their time together is about just being a kid—playing video games, getting ice cream, and talking about superheroes.”
For Silas, and for many kids living with sickle cell disease, it’s often hard to tell from the outside how the child may be feeling on the inside. “When you meet Silas, you wouldn’t immediately know that he lives with a lifelong chronic illness,” Grace said. “Silas has had to be brave through transfusions, emergency hospitalizations, and severe pain. Despite these challenges, he shows up with a big smile and so much positive energy.”
“It can be very difficult at times, and there’s so much that goes on behind the scenes that you might not be aware of,” Bridgette said. “I think I just want people to know that just because the illness isn’t always ‘visible’ doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Be patient with us, the families and the child.”
Wrestling gave Silas something new to learn. Penn gave him a team to cheer for. And the relationships he has with his teammates give him an expanded support network, a place he can be himself, and a team who has his back to celebrate the wins and lift him up when things get tough.
Though Bridgette and Silas know living with sickle cell is not easy, they also know the resilience and strength that they hope other kids living with the disease feel every day. “You are perfect the way you are,” Bridgette said. “You are so loved, and you are so special. Even on the hardest days, you got this.”
This September, we recognize Sickle Cell Awareness Month, the kids like Silas who exemplify resilience, and the teams like Penn wrestling who create and foster environments for children with sickle cell disease to belong and be themselves. We are grateful to our partner Vertex Pharmaceuticals for their dedication to our mission and helping create a brighter future for all those living with sickle cell disease.