It always sucks reading these type of stories. I have a good friend who lost his young son years ago to this. We then fast forward years down the road and his daughter was diagnosed with the same thing last year.
Facebook link
Auburn fans will be celebrating tonight. They will also be mourning.
Right there at Jordan-Hare Stadium, the site of Saturday night’s Go, Crazy Cadillac game, a somber gathering will be held.
And while they celebrate the life of a true Auburn fan, former Tiger receiver Sammie Coates will be among those saying goodbye.
This is the story about the friendship between a true orange and blue Auburn fan and a former Auburn football player.
It’s the story of an unlikely friendship.
A friendship that lasted nearly ten years before that true orange and blue Auburn fan went to Heaven.
This is the story of Kenzie and Sammie.
It was May 4, 2013, and 10-year-old Kenzie Ray heard the news.
“You have Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia”, the doctors told her.
ALL is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow- hospital stays and chemo treatments beckoned.
The Tallassee, Alabama resident was ready to fight.
Kenzie Ray had always loved the Auburn Tigers, so when she had a chance to meet Shon Coleman, she was over the moon.
Shon had beaten back the same kind of cancer that Kenzie had been stricken with- Shon fought his way back onto the Auburn team.
As Kenzie and Shon chatted after the 2013 Miss State game, another talented Auburn football player took notice of the 10-year-old girl.
Sammie Coates’ heart was smitten, and a friendship was formed.
Kenzie Ray continued to fight the fight, and the 2013 Iron Bowl was there to lift her up.
The craziest, most memorable, most delirious game in Auburn football history was in the books.
As Chris Davis and the Kick Six gang went off to party into the night, Sammie Coates headed somewhere else.
Sammie walked to the University Station RV park to find Kenzie, sharing the sweet victory with her.
For the next nine years, Kenzie and Sammie were inseparable.
Sammie went onto play in the NFL, yet continued to visit with and talk to Kenzie.
Kenzie graduated from Reeltown High School in 2020, and Sammie was Kenzie’s biggest fan.
And when Sammie’s NFL career was over and he became a policeman for the city of Auburn? Kenzie was thrilled to have him nearby.
Kenzie Ray died last Friday at the age of 20.
Her parents Tommy and Keisha are proud of the way their daughter fought, and proud of the way that Sammie Coates loved their daughter.
“Sammie was always there for Kenzie”, Tommy tells me.
“I know that Sammie made my daughter’s life better as she fought her battle.”
Tonight in Auburn, family and friends will gather at the Tiger Den inside Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Sammie Coates plans on joining the group to talk about their memories of Kenzie.
“We want to sit around and share some stories about Kenzie and talk about how much she meant to all of us”, says Tommy.
“Doctors gave her a 95 percent chance of dying, yet Kenzie was positive- she used to say that she had a 5 percent chance of living.”
There will be much to talk about tonight at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Family and friends will talk about how much Kenzie loved her parrots, hot wings and shopping.
They will talk about how much Kenzie loved her family.
They will talk about how much Kenzie loved Auburn football.
They will talk about how much Kenzie loved Sammie Coates.
And Sammie?
He will be glad to talk about how much he loved Kenzie back.
*Thanks to Tommy Ray for the pictures
Auburn Football Auburn Tigers Auburn University
Facebook link
Auburn fans will be celebrating tonight. They will also be mourning.
Right there at Jordan-Hare Stadium, the site of Saturday night’s Go, Crazy Cadillac game, a somber gathering will be held.
And while they celebrate the life of a true Auburn fan, former Tiger receiver Sammie Coates will be among those saying goodbye.
This is the story about the friendship between a true orange and blue Auburn fan and a former Auburn football player.
It’s the story of an unlikely friendship.
A friendship that lasted nearly ten years before that true orange and blue Auburn fan went to Heaven.
This is the story of Kenzie and Sammie.
It was May 4, 2013, and 10-year-old Kenzie Ray heard the news.
“You have Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia”, the doctors told her.
ALL is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow- hospital stays and chemo treatments beckoned.
The Tallassee, Alabama resident was ready to fight.
Kenzie Ray had always loved the Auburn Tigers, so when she had a chance to meet Shon Coleman, she was over the moon.
Shon had beaten back the same kind of cancer that Kenzie had been stricken with- Shon fought his way back onto the Auburn team.
As Kenzie and Shon chatted after the 2013 Miss State game, another talented Auburn football player took notice of the 10-year-old girl.
Sammie Coates’ heart was smitten, and a friendship was formed.
Kenzie Ray continued to fight the fight, and the 2013 Iron Bowl was there to lift her up.
The craziest, most memorable, most delirious game in Auburn football history was in the books.
As Chris Davis and the Kick Six gang went off to party into the night, Sammie Coates headed somewhere else.
Sammie walked to the University Station RV park to find Kenzie, sharing the sweet victory with her.
For the next nine years, Kenzie and Sammie were inseparable.
Sammie went onto play in the NFL, yet continued to visit with and talk to Kenzie.
Kenzie graduated from Reeltown High School in 2020, and Sammie was Kenzie’s biggest fan.
And when Sammie’s NFL career was over and he became a policeman for the city of Auburn? Kenzie was thrilled to have him nearby.
Kenzie Ray died last Friday at the age of 20.
Her parents Tommy and Keisha are proud of the way their daughter fought, and proud of the way that Sammie Coates loved their daughter.
“Sammie was always there for Kenzie”, Tommy tells me.
“I know that Sammie made my daughter’s life better as she fought her battle.”
Tonight in Auburn, family and friends will gather at the Tiger Den inside Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Sammie Coates plans on joining the group to talk about their memories of Kenzie.
“We want to sit around and share some stories about Kenzie and talk about how much she meant to all of us”, says Tommy.
“Doctors gave her a 95 percent chance of dying, yet Kenzie was positive- she used to say that she had a 5 percent chance of living.”
There will be much to talk about tonight at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Family and friends will talk about how much Kenzie loved her parrots, hot wings and shopping.
They will talk about how much Kenzie loved her family.
They will talk about how much Kenzie loved Auburn football.
They will talk about how much Kenzie loved Sammie Coates.
And Sammie?
He will be glad to talk about how much he loved Kenzie back.
*Thanks to Tommy Ray for the pictures
Auburn Football Auburn Tigers Auburn University
