The Cubs Family Ties: Life-Saving Surgery and Lasting Friendship Formed Through Shared Love of Baseball

Denise Vasquez and Cathy Weadley are two very dedicated Chicago Cubs fans, and before 2022, the two were complete strangers. Spring training in Arizona brought these fans together, creating a life-saving narrative that grew from a shared love of baseball.

Fox 10 reported on the heartwarming story.

Well before Vasquez crossed paths with Weadley, she was diagnosed with a life-threatening kidney disease that would change the focus of her life. Her diagnosis of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) would eventually result in kidney failure.

Her caregivers laid out a 10-year lifespan if no action were to be taken.

Vasquez would soon learn that a diagnosis of this magnitude would require a support system like none other to lean on. Since the Cubs were her passion, she leaned on them. Her passion is what ultimately saved her life.

Weadley and Vasquez met while collecting player autographs at Sloan Park where the Cubs gather for spring training games. Prior to meeting, the two women individually expressed their love for Chicago baseball by making their way to Arizona each year.

Vasquez even relocated from California in 2020 in order to be present at each and every spring training game.

In 2023, Vasquez and Weadley took the next step in their friendship and began planning out what Vasquez would need to continue watching the Cubs for many years to come. Weadley got tested after learning that her dear friend’s blood type was O-positive and soon, she became a match for a transplant.

The surgery took place on Jan. 7, 2025, just three years after the Chicago fans forged their bond in Arizona. Vasquez has since recovered well from the procedure, taking hold of her fresh start, all thanks to Weadley.

Weadley is a retired school teacher and shared with Arizona’s Family that some past illnesses had prepared her to step up during a dire situation such as this. Weadley did not seem to hesitate when her friend needed her the most.

Vasquez shared, “It’s a really cool friendship. To know someone would go above and beyond to do something like that, it’s great.”

Along with Weadley, Vasquez credits her new life to the Cubs, noting that the incredible team brought the two women together when they needed it the most. Both women have since been cleared to attend spring games in Arizona, a tradition that the women would be hard-pressed to let go of.