Angels welcome Little League leukemia survivor, teammates

LOS ANGELES (WABC) -- A group of young ballplayers who kicked off the new school year by celebrating a special teammate were rewarded with a big surprise.

What was once a Field of Dreams became a reality for the thoughtful Little Leaguers when the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim invited them into the outfield, the home of one of baseball's biggest names, New Jersey native Mike Trout.

It was a day of many firsts for the kids from West Covina, California, whose love of the game and their teammates extends far beyond baseball.

Fourteen-year-old Jaylon Fong is a pitcher on the team, but he's also a leukemia survivor. And it was his baseball buddies, he says, that helped him through six long years of treatment.

"It would make me forget about my treatments that I had at the hospital," he said.

"He would get treatments on Thursdays and show up on Saturdays and play in the game," coach Bobby Hansen said.

The back-to-school celebration for Jaylon and his teammates included tips from an Angels coach and some baseball drills, as well as tips from the star himself.

"Be a good kid and stay out of trouble, and, you know, things will lead you in the right way," Trout said.

Then, it was Jaylon's turn to meet his idol and hand over one of his "courage" wristbands.

"I appreciate it, I'll wear it right now," Trout told him. "If you watch tonight, I'll be wearing it at the plate, hopefully gets us some hits."

And he kept his word, getting hits and creating memories for a lifetime.