Andrew Van Ginkel and wife Sam looking to assist 7-year old with cancer

Andrew Van Ginkel has become a player every Miami Dolphins fan should love. He just does everything. If he is on the field, it feels like good things are going to happen for Miami. He is all over the field and he makes impact plays. Do you need him to cover? Do you need him to blitz? Do you need him to play run-stuffer? At this point, I am pretty sure he would go sell popcorn in the stands, re-sod the field, and hit the road as a scout if the Dolphins needed it.

He also is looking to do what is needed for a seven-year-old boy in Inwood, Iowa. Jake Dieters has been diagnosed with Wilms’ tumor for the third time, having already fought off the cancer twice. In 2018, he has to have his right kidney removed. In 2019, he has part of his left kidney removed. In January, the rest of his left kidney was removed, and he is on dialysis three-times a week.

According to the Mayo Clinic, A “Wilms’ tumor is a rare kidney cancer that primarily affects children. Also known as nephroblastoma, it’s the most common cancer of the kidneys in children. Wilms’ tumor most often affects children ages 3 to 4 and becomes much less common after age 5. Wilms’ tumor most often occurs in just one kidney, though it can sometimes be found in both kidneys at the same time.”

Van Ginkel and his wife Sam have joined a fund-raising campaign to assist Dieters and his family. Last night, Sam tweeted a link to an auction in Inwood, with lot number 94 featuring Van Ginkel’s jersey from the team’s Saturday night game last year against the Las Vegas Raiders. Van Ginkel recorded seven tackles and two sacks in the game.

Now, Andrew has signed the jersey and the couple are auctioning it for Dieters.

According to the auction website, any items won are supposed to be picked up in Inwood, so I asked Sam if there she knew if there was a shipping option for the jersey. She replied that they would ship the jersey:

The bid as of 10:50am ET on Tuesday was at $750. The auction closes Saturday afternoon.

If you have the ability and want to (a) help out a kid who is going through something no one should have to face and (b) would like to have a shot at a Van Ginkel autographed, game-used jersey, you can head to the auction here. Scroll down on the first page to lot 94 - you can’t miss the gorgeous aqua, white, and orange in the picture.

Good luck to you if you are bidding. And, thoughts, prayers, and love to Dieters as he fights this again yet again.