WASHINGTON -- Earlier this month, Bryce Harper spent an entire day granting the wish of Kaylan, a 16-year-old resident of Gaithersburg, Md., who wanted to meet Harper. The Nats slugger gave Kaylan a tour of Nationals Park and the team's facilities, and they played catch together and took swings in the batting cage, all of which led up to a game between the Nationals and Reds.
In conjunction with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Harper and Kaylan's full time together was featured during the 6 p.m. ET edition of "SportsCenter" on Tuesday as part of the 10th anniversary of ESPN's My Wish series.
"Best day ever," Kaylan called it then.
Harper said it was his first time he granted a wish, and he was happy to do it for Kaylan, who he called a sweet spirit. She has been battling a kidney condition since birth, and although she received a transplant from her mother in 2015, she still has to take 24 pills every day to prevent organ rejection. That transplant was also not expected to be a permanent fix, because she will likely have future medical complications and could need additional transplants.
"Make-A-Wish is grateful for Bryce Harper, who provided Kaylan and her family with an experience they will always cherish," Laura Caldwell, the president and CEO of Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic, wrote in a statement. "When times are difficult, we hope Kaylan and her family will remember the wish experience and feel a renewed sense of hope and optimism."