On Tuesday, December 5, a few Rams players decided to tap into the giving spirit of the holidays with a visit to Cedars-Sinai Hospital to interact and engage with patients.
Rams receiver PHAROH COOPER and safety CODY DAVISeach walked through the pediatric and oncology units of Cedars-Sinai Hospital connecting with patients and their family members. Cooper and Davis simply wanted to direct patient's focus away from aid and recovery for a brief moment, and provide them some delight and comfort.
"It was a really fun time to get out there and bring some joy and hope to families who are in the hospital facing real trials and tribulations," said Rams safety Cody Davis. "We were just trying to see the fans and the kids and bring a smile to their face. It was fun to see them smile and to talk about some of their favorite things and what they're asking Santa for this year."
Wide receiver and Pro Bowl return specialist Pharoh Cooper echoed his teammate's response regarding his time spent with Cedars-Sinai patients. As a professional athlete, Cooper believes it's essential to use his platform for the betterment of his community and to give inspiration to those in need of an uplifting spirit.
"It was great to see how excited they were to see us," said Cooper. "It was a great experience, being able to use this platform to put a smile on kids' faces. That's what it's all about."
Courtnay Caufield, Associate Director of Pediatrics with Cedars-Sinai Hospital, believes the players visit meant just as much to the patient's parents as it did to the kids. The Rams' visit was the talk-of-the-halls for the remainder of the week, and the smiles and joy of patients were infectious to parents, hospital staff, and players.
"The delight that the players visit brought to the kids cannot be replaced with words," said Caufield. "They felt special and to parents and caregivers, watching their children smile, brought them comfort and joy as well. This really shows us that the efforts of the Rams players are truly intended to bring joy to others on their day off. Their efforts do not go unappreciated and our staff spoke about it for days."
Cooper and Davis, who are accustomed to the bright lights of the NFL, found themselves out of the spot light during their visit. Fans fill stadiums all around the country to watch Cooper and Davis play America's most celebrated sport as they support their favorite team on Sundays. But on this day, it was Davis and Cooper who wanted to pay a visit and support the fans that need them most. The players left Cedars-Sinai Hospital with many new fans, as the patients they touched celebrated their newfound heroes.
"It was like the patients were the superstars and the LA Rams came to see them," said Caufield. "The players brought joy and hope to our kids and the Rams brought positivity and warm wishes to our patients and their families. The moment that the Rams entered each patient's room, smiles and grins were abound! We love our team and the Rams have a whole lot of cheerleaders watching them on the field from their hospital beds every week because we appreciate the love and joy they bring us."
For more information about the Rams community outreach initiatives, please visit rams.com/community.