Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen to pay medical costs for MS patient
By Amy Kaplan
Kenley Jansen pays nearly $75,000 medical bill for a man in the Netherlands needing treatment for Multiple Sclerosis.
Closer Kenley Jansen has been the savior for many Dodgers games, but now it seems as though he’s jumped in to help a man in dire need of a medical procedure he cannot afford.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Jansen donated 60,000 euros — about $72,000 to a man in the Netherlands who was raising money to fund an experimental treatment for Multiple Sclerosis the disease that forced him into a wheelchair.
“This is a guy that has tried to get help for a long time,” Jansen said. “I just wanted to help.”
Jansen has never met Amadeo Ellensburg but heard of his plight through social media.
The story first reached the media after Ellensburg shared his gratitude on his Facebook page.
“Thanks to Kenley Jansen and his brother, my dream comes true,” he wrote.
Jansen hasn’t visited the Netherlands (of which he is a citizen) since 2009 but would like to return soon and visit Ellensburg personally.
If the treatment is successful, he may have a chance of walking again.
“I can’t help everybody,” Jansen said. “But to see him struggle as a young kid like that, it stops your heart. Hopefully he becomes better, lives life healthy, and enjoys his family. You just want to see him healthy and back on his feet.”
Next: Yasiel Puig teaching his son to bat flip
The Dodgers have struggled this season after coming just one game short of their first World Series victory since 1988. Instead, the Houston Astros earned their first World Series trophy in franchise history.
The Dodgers have had a string of bad luck ever since, including a season-ending injury to Corey Seager, and a lackluster 16-23 record as of Saturday.
Jansen announced earlier this month that he is expecting baby number two with his wife, Gianni.