SEATTLE — The Seattle Seahawks take on the Cardinals at home Sunday and it's a very special game for fans and one ultimate 12.
Last October, August Johansson, 13, was in the hospital in Utah battling cancer when he was surprised by Blitz, his favorite team's mascot.
Gus is one of the Seahawks' biggest fans, but he's been through a lot lately. In 2021, he was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia, which catapulted him on a years-long hospital journey of painful chemotherapy, treatments and bone marrow transplants.
But as the Seahawks fought to defy expectations, Gus did too.
Last October, he got a knock on the door of his hospital room.
“All of a sudden, I just hear a knock on my door on like, it's probably like a nurse or something," said August.
In a video provided by the Seahawks and digital creator JT Laybourne, you can hear August shouting "Blitz! Blitz” and jumping up to hug him. After all, it’s not every day you get to meet your favorite team’s mascot.
The goal was to have Gus get better and beat cancer so he could come to a game in Seattle and meet his favorite player DK Metcalf.
Now, a year later Gus is cancer-free and got to raise the 12 flag at the crucial catch game Sunday. Gus also got to meet DK at practice Saturday and was also named an honorary captain of the team.
Sunday’s game’s focus for fans will be raising awareness for early detection of cancer.