An eight-year-old boy from Fort Saskatchewan, Alta. who is suffering from a serious respiratory illness got the chance to be a Toronto Blue Jay for the day.

On Friday, Nathan Diaz, accompanied by his sister, parents and grandparents, signed a sponsorship deal with StubHub as part of Make-A-Wish foundation.

“His one true wish is to be a Toronto Blue Jay for the day,” Cari Miller with Make-A-Wish Canada said.

Decked out in Blue Jays gear, Diaz told CTV News Toronto that Justin Smoak is one of his favourite players.

“When we always see him on TV, we said where there’s ‘Smoak’, there is fire,” Diaz said.

Diaz got the chance to meet some of the players and participate in batting practice before the game on Friday. He even got a ball signed.



Eight-year-old Nathan Diaz gets a ball signed at the Rogers Centre. (Francis Gibbs/CTV News Toronto)

After practice, Diaz will head up to StubHub’s Blue Jays suite to watch the team take on the Tampa Bay Rays.

“Nathan is a special inspiring young boy and we had the opportunity to do something special for him, which is a great feeling for a company,” Paul Nowosad, the General Manager of StubHub, said.

Diaz is also an avid hockey fan and was given tickets to the Hockey Hall of Fame as well as Ripley’s Aquarium.

The young boy and his family have been invited to the remainder of the Blue Jays games this weekend, should he be healthy enough to attend.

“We come down here frequently but he’s said a couple times this is the most special time he has been down here so it means the world to him,” Diaz’s mother said. “We are very grateful.”