Chicago Cubs and Advocate Condell take local patient and her family out to the ball game

Honorary "Cubs Bat Kid" Lilliani Padilla, age eight, had the time of her life at a recent Cubs versus Cardinals game. Lilliani and her family had the opportunity to sit in the dugout and even meet the players before the game.

Lilly has Down syndrome and receives occupational, physical, speech and aquatic therapies within the Pediatric Alternatives in Creative Therapy program (PACT) at Advocate Condell Medical Center.

Lilly's experience in aquatic therapy has helped her develop a love for swimming and she is looking forward to competing in the Special Olympics.

The Padilla family are devoted Cubs fans and the opportunity to interact with the team was a lifetime experience that Lilly will never forget. She was especially excited to meet her favorite player Javier Báez, who has talked about his family's experience with special needs, as his late sister had spina bifida.

"I think that all families who have a person with any kind of special needs have some form of connection with each other," Lilly's mother Martha Padilla shares. "We become aware of people's emotional needs. It makes us more understanding of the challenges of having a loved one with special needs."

It is not an easy road, but Lilly's mother takes it in stride. As Lilly continues to grow and develop like every other child, she says their family motto keeps them looking forward: We will get where we need to be when we get there, no matter how long it takes.

As a legacy partner of the Chicago Cubs, Advocate Health Care has the opportunity to send patients to be honorary bat kids where they get to meet the Cubs, get autographs, and watch the game with their family. In this way, Advocate is helping Lilliani and her family continue to make strides toward her experiencing all that life has to offer.