For four years, Theresa Schmus and her mom, Pat, have been living in the shadow of stage four ovarian cancer.
"There's only so much you can do," Theresa Schmus said. "You just have to be there as much as you can … but you can't physically take it away."
Since Pat Schmus' diagnosis, there's been a constant cycle of treatments and recurrences, long days spent at Penn Medicine, fighting through fatigue, fear and chemo. But one thing that has never changed is her love for Philadelphia sports.
"She's a diehard," Theresa Schmus said with a smile. "We had a Flyers mailbox growing up. We didn't even have a number on our house; that was the only distinguishing feature."
Whether it's the Phillies, Flyers, Sixers or Eagles, Pat doesn't miss a game. And lately, she can't stop talking about one player in particular: Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith.
"Yesterday was one of the really long chemo days," Theresa Schmus said. "She was scrolling through her Facebook reels, talking about DeVonta. He's my favorite. Look at his outfit. He looks so good!"
That's when Theresa Schmus' roommate had an idea: "Why don't you just DM his fiancée?"
At first, it sounded far-fetched. But Theresa Schmus decided to take the chance.
"I messaged her asking if there was any way I could get a jersey signed for my mom," she said. "Even if I bought one, maybe I could get it to her to sign?"
To Theresa Schmus' shock, she said, within 20 minutes, Mya, DeVonta Smith's fiancée, replied. She asked for Pat Schmus' jersey size and said she'd be at the hospital in 15 minutes.
"I walked downstairs and was in complete shock," Theresa Schmus said. "She had a signed jersey and a card; I couldn't stop thanking her."
Theresa Schmus posted a video of the surprise on TikTok and it quickly went viral, racking up more than 600,000 views. But more importantly, it lit up her mom's entire day.
"She's never had a jersey in her life," Theresa Schmus said. "She was smiling so big, calling everyone. She kept asking, 'How do I thank them?' It meant the world. It brought her so much joy."
It was a small act of kindness, but for a family that's been through so much, it meant everything.
Now, Theresa Schmus is holding onto one more hope: that her mom can meet Smith in person.
"Oh my gosh," she said. "She'd freak out. I really hope so."
Josh Sanders
Josh Sanders is a journalist shaped by life-changing events. He joined the CBS News Philadelphia family in August 2023 as a reporter and multi-skilled journalist.