BY CLAYTON JONES
UNM Assistant Director of Communications
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Emma Davis with her gentle blue eyes slowly peered at the 2,000-plus fans, the Navy Leap Frogs who had just parachuted upon UNM Soccer Complex and the rest of the festivities that come with a University of New Mexico women’s soccer home opener as the sun set beautifully on the Land of Enchantment on a warm mid-September evening.
The 5-year-old in her cherry Lobo jersey and black head band with a white and black polka-dotted bow stood where midfield and the sideline meet as the starters and the referees were about to walk to the center of the playing surface with Emma as UNM’s honorary captain against in-state foe New Mexico State – noted by the black captain’s band she sported around her arm.
A tad nervous, Emma – who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in January – used her love of superheroes to muster more of the courage that she’s shown in such abundance in battling her illness and squeezed the hand of UNM’s captain for the game Alexa Cabrales, a player Emma met months before on National Superhero Day – the day Cabrales and others learned Emma and her family’s motto: Superheroes do exist.
5-year-old Emma Davis waves to the crowd of more than 2,000 people as the team’s honorary captain against New Mexico State.
With her loving and warming personality that melts anyone she meets (one of Emma’s many “superpowers”), Emma raised her hand up and directed those large, can’t-say-no-to blue eyes toward the referee – waiting for him to take her hand. Usually stoic at this point prior to a game, all four officials broke character and smiled widely as he took her hand and everyone marched toward the center of the field.
“She looked up at the ref and put her hand up as if it was obvious the ref needed to hold her hand,” Cabrales said with a grin.
It’s this magnetic personality and a zest for life while battling leukemia that’s connected Emma with the 2016 UNM women’s soccer program – a relationship that started in late April and has benefited all parties involved.
“We are totally in love with the UNM women’s soccer team,” said Anne Davis, Emma’s mother. “It’s kind of like we all adopted each other. I’m really grateful for their friendship and support. It really makes Emma feel like a kid and it’s something special and fun that makes her feel like one of the girls. It’s really cool.
“As a mom, there are no words I can find to express my gratitude.”
A “Super” Day
The journey of Emma and the Lobos began in April and with Love Your Melon – an apparel brand on a mission to put a hat on every child battling cancer in America. For every hat or beanie that’s purchased – Love Your Melon donates a hat or beanie to a child with cancer.
The company developed its Campus Crew Program with more than 11,000 students and 740 different colleges and universities joining – including The University of New Mexico.
Lobo women’s soccer players Cabrales, Ashley Ballantyne and Casey Murphy are part of the program and when National Superhero Day was approaching earlier this year on April 28 – a day Love Your Melon’s Camp Crew members personally donate hats and create therapeutic experiences to more than 70 children’s hospitals and nearly 500 family’s households, the trio (and the rest of their group) were in search of a child to support. One of the trio’s professors put the group in contact with Emma’s mother Anne and the day was set for the group to visit Emma.
“She couldn’t wait,” Anne said. “She got dressed in her super girl outfit and just kept looking out the window.”
Emma Davis meets the Love Your Melon Campus Crew from University of New Mexico, including a trio of UNM women’s soccer players, in front of her home on Superhero Day on April 28.
Cabrales, Ballantyne and Murphy along with others members of the group came to the Davis’ door dressed as superheroes and were toting coloring books, cupcakes and other presents for Emma.
The group spent hours playing with Emma – whether it was sitting on the floor coloring or going outside and playing on the family’s swing set in the back. Due to the leukemia, it was difficult for Emma to be around people as much those first few months without risking knocking her immune system down, so National Superhero Day was really her first opportunity to play with people outside of her own family – including Anne, Emma’s father Jason Davis and her 8-year-old brother Jacob.
“Just to see her happy and smile was great,” Anne said. “Those were the biggest smiles we’d seen in months. It was really important for her and had a positive impact on her. Consequently, the girls have had an impact on our lives and we’ve been able to stay in touch.
“Emma says now all she wants to do is just play soccer.”
The feeling was mutual for Cabrales, Ballantyne, Murphy and the rest of the Love Your Melon Campus Crew group as it didn’t take long for Emma’s charm and charisma to take over.
“We went over there to affect her and her family in a positive way, but I think it was kind of the opposite,” Cabrales said. “I think she affected us more than we affected her.”
Ballantyne shared Cabrales’ thoughts.
“I’ll never forget that day,” Ballantyne said. “She was in such a good mood and was so happy. It made my day to know it made her day.”
Donating time is nothing new for the Lobo women’s soccer program as once a week in the spring and summer the Lobos went to children’s hospitals and spent time with kids.
But with this personal, in-home visit – the trio of Lobo soccer players knew they wanted to stay in touch with Emma and her family.
So they did through social media (Emma has a Facebook page named Emma’s Army) with Emma’s family often offering support for the Lobos while the players kept tabs on how Emma was progressing over the summer.
A “Super” Honorary Captain
As the Lobos’ season started with seven consecutive road games, Emma was continuing her fight with leukemia as she has had 60-70 doses of treatment – one of the last chemotherapy treatments causing her to lose her blonde hair (which Emma says she hopes grows back pink) – and three surgeries.
The week prior to the Lobos’ first home game Sept. 16 against NMSU, Cabrales asked the UNM coaching staff if Emma could be an honorary captain for that game. Head coach Heather Dyche and the rest of the coaching staff were more than excited for it – as was Anne.
Emma received the full player experience – getting to be in the locker room with the Lobos as well as being on the field as the players stretched, including in her own meticulous way wiping off grass if a player still had it on their knee or uniform.
Her favorite part prior to the game?
“I liked kicking the ball on the field,” Emma said with sheepish smile.
After getting to stand at midfield and have her name announced as the honorary captain – Emma wasn’t ready to leave the Lobos’ side. Instead of sitting with her family, she wanted to be on the sideline with the team – so she stayed. Emma made her way down the bench, sitting on each player’s lap and giving hugs.
After a scoreless first half, the Lobos put two goals in during the final 45 minutes with the final one coming off the foot of Savannah Viola – who celebrated the way the Lobos do by running to the sideline by the UNM bench and slapping hands with the players lined up.
But as Viola made her way down the line she stopped at Emma, put her forehead on her forehead and told her, “That one is for you.”
“I started crying when I saw that,” Anne said. “That was special.”
Savannah Viola stops at Emma Davis after scoring a goal against New Mexico State at UNM Soccer Complex.
UNM finished the game with a 2-0 victory, and Emma – though sleepy as it was past 9 p.m. – was the star of the contest, and still is a common topic for the Lobos.
“Our team talks about her every day,” Murphy said. “They bring her up wondering if she’s going to be able to make it this or that game. Even when they hadn’t met her yet, she just walked down the hall and they all thought she was just adorable.”
Emma made another appearance at the Air Force contest on Sept. 25 and again escorted the team onto the field as honorary captain – still not wanting to leave the side of her Lobos.
Showing “Super” Fight
Emma’s fight continues with leukemia with her superhero strength as she’s now on the maintenance phase of her treatment (which will be a one-and-a-half to two-year phase) after going through the induction and intensification phases. She’s likely going to be able to start preschool again and play organized sports and other activities soon.
“Hopefully she can get back to doing some of these normal things,” Anne said. “With leukemia, you just take it a day at a time, though.”
As for the Lobos, Cabrales, Ballantyne and Murphy have had other players approach them about – and have joined – the UNM Campus Crew of Love Your Melon as their efforts in helping others has spread.
“This all shows us that just a little effort can go a long way,” Murphy said. “When we go to those children’s hospitals or go spend time with Emma – we really aren’t doing that much other than hanging out with them. But it makes their day. It’s so little time and it can make someone’s day.”
Cabrales said the experience has helped her mature and see life in a different way.
“I think that just being part of something bigger than ourselves is way more rewarding than half the things you can experience in college,” Cabrales said. “This makes us realize how privileged we are. We get to go to school and play a sport when others aren’t so lucky.”
Emma and Alexa Cabrales during Superhero Day.
Ballantyne said the group is inspired to continue its work because of what they’ve experienced with Emma.
“We want to get the word out and build awareness,” Ballantyne said. “Any day your life could change in a second. Anybody can get cancer. It can happen at any time.”
As for Emma, she’s looking forward to Halloween later in the month as she gets to dress up as her favorite superhero – Bat Girl, the costume Cabrales dressed up as when she went to visit the Davis’ on National Superhero Day.
For Anne, she says the bond between Emma and the Lobos has given herself, Emma and the rest of her family some much-needed joy.
“Emma has been through so much – leukemia and cancer takes so much of your childhood that when you get to do stuff like this that is so awesome, fun and special just for her, it makes things a little easier and cushions the blow of what cancer robs her of. She’s just been able to be a kid. She was able to be that fun, superhero kid she wants to be.
“The Lobos are the superheroes to us. It’s been really amazing.”
To follow Emma’s journey, like Emma’s Army on Facebook.