Almost 10 years ago on Thanksgiving night, Giana Delgadillo was sitting at Phoenix Children's Hospital after her son, Derek, underwent a procedure for a congenital heart defect.
With the operation for an affliction called Tetralogy of Fallot and the resulting recovery period taking place over the holiday, Giana admitted it was a challenge to be at the hospital instead of around the table with family.
That night, during a time they would least expect it, Larry Fitzgerald walked in and paid a visit.
"The fact that Larry came out on a holiday to visit families and patients just to let them know someone out there is thinking of them meant a lot," Giana said. "It means a lot for someone to come and just spend a little bit of their time, because the hospital is a lonely place, it's really boring too, and when you have to spend several days there, it's not fun. To have someone pop in and just spend a little bit of time with you means a lot."
Fitzgerald spent some time with the Delgadillos and Giana's brother, Adrian, who has Down Syndrome and his own heart condition. Adrian is nonverbal, but one of the few words he can say is "Cardinals," which made Fitzgerald's surprise visit that much more meaningful.
Being active in the community was instilled in Fitzgerald from a young age. His late mother would take he and his brother Marcus to homeless shelters or hospitals, making sure they understood it was important to give attention to those that were sick or needy.
Fitzgerald never stopped once he joined the NFL. He visited often, and almost all of the time, did it intentionally without media attention, and when someone might be feeling the hardest hit with their situation -- like during a holiday.
"I still feel really good about being able to spend time with people who might not be able to open gifts or people who are unfortunately in the hospital," Fitzgerald said. "Life is very difficult and you never know like who you can impact and bring some joy to. That's something that was always taught to us as young people."
Fitzgerald's own sons Devin, Apollo and Milos often times join their father at various community and charity events through The Larry Fitzgerald Foundation.
"They are asking me now," Fitzgerald said of his sons. "It's really fun to be able to see a seed that you plant and you water it, and you start to see it grow and blossom. I think that is what's really cool, that it's gone from generation to generation."
Hospital visits like the one shared with the Delgadillos has become a part of Fitzgerald's holiday routine. He would spend time with his family in the morning and then give back to the community in the evening.
"That memory is forever instilled in our lives," Giana said. "We tell everyone all the time."
The Delgadillos are Cardinals fans to their core. Genaro Delgadillo, Derek's father, now works for the Cardinals and back then was a part of the video staff on game days. A few weeks after Fitzgerald's impromptu hospital visit, he saw Genaro on the field.
"How's our boy doing?" Fitzgerald asked Genaro before kickoff.
"He didn't forget our son and that interaction," Giana said. "I know that meant a lot to Genaro. It meant a lot to us."
