Liam Hendriks acknowledges his wife's unyielding commitment in cancer battle
Liam Hendriks, a reliever for the Chicago White Sox, is back after missing the first two months of the season receiving treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Hendriks recently spoke about his wife Kristi's love for him and how she was a support system in his battle with cancer.
Hendricks recounted the experience of having his wife by his hospital bed, saying that he could "never say how much she did" for him.
"I could never say how much she did for me, ever," Hendriks said. "Being a spouse, sitting next to your husband while he's lying on a hospital bed, writhing in pain, not being able to do anything."
"She was by my side every single step of the way, I don't think I'll ever be able to share my gratitude enough."
This is what Chicago White Sox posted for Hendriks, calling him an inspiration:
Your journey is an inspiration. We couldn’t be more proud.
Welcome back, Liam Hendriks! https://t.co/fbQ6jwJsks
"Your journey is an inspiration. We couldn’t be more proud. Welcome back, Liam Hendriks!" - Chicago White Sox
Liam Hendriks is excited to be back
Hendriks received his stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis in the first week of December and finished his final round of chemotherapy in the first week of April. He played in six games for Triple-A Charlotte earlier this month as part of his rehabilitation assignment. He recently posted the following video announcing that he is ready to come back and paly for the White Socks.
"See you soon Southside💥" - Liam Hendriks
Liam had previously played for the Oakland Athletics, Toronto Blue Jays, Minnesota Twins, and Kansas City Royals. He was the American League's Reliever of the Year in 2020 and 2021, and he was an All-Star three times.
Hendriks agreed to a three-year, $54 million contract with the Chicago White Sox on January 11, 2021, which included a club option for an additional year. While playing for Oakland, he was awarded the AL Reliever of the Month for May and September.