Family Of Young Brain Cancer Survivor Speaks On Interaction With Tom Brady: 'It Was Crazy, I Didn't Believe It'
BOSTON (CBS) -- Tom Brady became the first player to ever throw 600 touchdowns in the NFL on Sunday. But it was his interaction with a young fan in the stands late in the game that ended up being the highlight of the day.
The CBS broadcast caught the tail end of Brady's interaction with a boy in the front row behind the Buccaneers' sideline. Brady had given him a hat, and the boy was overcome with emotion.
We later learned that was with good reason. The boy -- Noah Reeb -- had endured a battle with brain cancer, undergoing multiple surgeries during the difficult period. During that time, Brady learned of Noah's battle and sent a video of encouragement.
Speaking with the crew of "Inside The NFL," Jacque Reeb -- Noah's mother -- said that he watched the video "a hundred times."
"He used to replay it in the hospital when he was going through hard times, and we watched the video and remind him that, you know what? Tom Brady thinks you're tough. You must be pretty tough," Jacque said.
Noah proudly held up a sign at the game, which said, "Tom Brady helped me beat brain cancer." When the family finally caught Brady's attention, Noah was in shock.
"It was crazy, I didn't believe it," Noah said. "It was crazy. I was so blessed and so grateful. And then as soon as he looked at me, I started crying."
Noah's father, James, explained what the family's goal was in attending Sunday's game.
"All I wanted to do, like dad to dad ... such a baby," James said while fighting back tears. "I just wanted to tell him, thank you. I just wanted to say we got it, it helped a lot, it really meant something to us. I just want to say, thank you. And for me, that was that elation. That was the relief, is that I got to tell him thank you, and then it was all about Noah."
James said he couldn't help but find it perfect that after watching his son battle brain cancer, it was a hat that ended up being the gift from Brady.
"To see him there, going through all of that stuff, especially, you know, the subject was his head. That little head that had all these surgeries and was the cause of so much pain. And now to come full circle ... Tom looked over, he saw the sign, he came over," James said. "And what was so incredible for both Jacque and I to see is he took that hat and he put it on that same head. You know? It was just the culmination of a very long, hard-fought, hard-won, well-earned journey for Noah."
James added: "He definitely has had an impact. It touches all of us, the way he's responded to this."
