John Challis Tribute

John Challis died at his parents home in Pittsburgh. He made national headlines when he threw out the ceremonial first pitch at a Pittsburgh Pirates game against the New York Yankees in June, leaving his home team a motivational message on their message board.

John was diagnosed with terminal cancer when he was 16. He spoke about his initial fear of death and then his determination to achieve his goals before succumbing to the cancer that had spread to his liver, lungs and other parts of his body.

He didn't give up though, and managed to make many of his dreams come true before his death. Apart from throwing out the ceremonial first pitch, he met Penguins’ owner and Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux, and spent an entire day with Yankee slugger Alex Rodriguez.

He dedicated his final days to spreading a message of hope and of living life to its fullest. His words made it to the Major Leagues and beyond, striking a chord with all who interacted with him.

John made us smile and gave us hope and new inspiration how to live the life we have. Now we have a chance to thank him by keeping his memory and his message alive. Please share your thoughts.