It’s been a long road from Cohen Children’s Medical Center to home plate, but 8-year-old Mason Maier, of Massapequa, LI, made the “Amazin’s” even more so when he signed an honorary contract to become a “Met for a Day.”

After joining the New York Mets during Spring Training earlier this year, Mason’s dream to join his favorite team came true when, flanked by his parents and his favorite nurse, he signed an honorary, one-day contract with the Mets.

All of this was a far cry from the frightened child, who in mid-June 2019, began to suffer from unexplained fevers for long period of time. His mother, Laura Maier, remembered that he became increasingly lethargic, ate very little and bruised easily.

In August of this year, his parents brought him to the emergency department at Cohen Children’s Medical Center. A battery of tests revealed that Mason was living with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). To fight the disease, Mason underwent three years of chemotherapy; he also had to endure multiple hospital stays caused by infections or low white blood cell counts.

Mason has been deemed in remission for more than one year. He is now, according to his parents, a happy little boy who loves school, his friends, and, of course, the Mets.

“We want to thank all the wonderful members of Mason’s care team at Cohen Children’s for helping Mason on his medical journey,” said Ms. Maier. “And, of course, thank you to the Mets for making this dream come true. Baseball has always been a big part of Mason’s life and we’re so grateful that he gets to be here today with his favorite team.”

Donovan Mitchell, senior director of DEI and Community Relations for the Mets, was present for the honorary contract signing. As he presented the document to Mason, he said, “As a token of our appreciation and for what you’ve gone through, we’d like to present you with a one-day contract.”

As soon as it became “official,” Mason quickly swapped his Cohen Children’s cap for a Mets cap. When asked how he felt, Mason replied, “I’m excited to be a Met."