By Tom Orsborn, Staff writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2025-03-27 14:34:04
由生成式人工智能翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
2025年3月13日，圣安东尼奥马刺队的桑德罗·马穆克拉什维利在德克萨斯州圣安东尼奥市的卫理公会儿童医院
桑德罗·马穆克拉什维利(Sandro Mamukelashvili)小时候在东欧格鲁吉亚第比利斯长大，他认为他的父亲是坚不可摧的。
但那是在祖拉布·马穆克拉什维利(Zurab Mamukelashvili)因霍奇金淋巴瘤接受化疗之前。
“他从一个我认为是用钢铁铸成、永远不会倒下的父亲，变成了一个好像存在又好像不存在的人，”年轻的马穆克拉什维利说道。
鉴于他亲眼目睹了父亲所承受的痛苦，当马刺队征集球员志愿者前往圣安东尼奥卫理公会儿童医院，参与“儿童生活月”的活动，并提高人们对医院儿童生活专家的工作的认识时，马穆克拉什维利毫不犹豫地举手报名。
“作为孩子，经历重大疾病是非常艰难的事情，”马穆克拉什维利周四在上午的投篮训练后说道，这是为当晚对阵骑士队的比赛做准备。“作为篮球运动员，我们可以给他们和他们的家人带来微笑，给他们带来一点积极性。这对他们来说很艰难，尤其是当你正在接受化疗或被诊断出患有癌症，脑海中充满了各种各样的想法时。”
25岁的马穆克拉什维利在他父亲与癌症作斗争时正值中学。当他的母亲玛丽安娜(Marianna)陪同祖拉布前往土耳其接受化疗时，他经常不得不和父亲的姐姐住在一起。为了避免让他意识到祖拉布病情的严重性，他们告诉儿子祖拉布只是“生病了”。
但这仍然无法阻止马穆克拉什维利在看着他身高6尺6的前篮球运动员父亲受苦时感到焦虑和恐惧。
“这是一个漫长的过程，”这位四年级前锋说道。“非常可怕。我记得他无法行走，无法进食。这是一种非常非常艰难的疾病。”
祖拉布现在66岁，病情已经缓解。这段经历让他的儿子对正在与癌症和其他疾病作斗争的家庭感同身受。
“我知道这对正在经历疾病的人和他们的家人来说都很艰难，”马穆克拉什维利说道，“所以我们所能做的就是缓和气氛，确保他们知道我们支持他们，并且理解他们正在经历的事情，这非常重要。”
两周前，马穆克拉什维利访问了医院，那里的工作人员很明显地感觉到他不是在敷衍了事。
“与桑德罗的访问非常棒，”卫理公会儿童医院儿童生活和综合护理经理布里埃尔·斯韦德林(Brielle Swerdlin)说道。
“他真正投入到患者及其家人的互动中，并对他们及其故事以及他们来这里的原因表现出真正的兴趣，”斯韦德林说道。“你可以看出他不仅仅是因为义务才来拜访。当他和患者及其家人在一起时，他非常投入，并且渴望了解他们。你可以看出他真的很享受在这里的时光，这使得这次访问非常有意义。”
一个特别的时刻是，一位患者挑战马穆克拉什维利在PlayStation 4视频游戏机上玩《堡垒之夜》。
“他说，‘哦，我要为你表演一场精彩的比赛，’我告诉他，如果他能进入前15名，我就送他一台PlayStation 5，”马穆克拉什维利说道。“我想他以为我在开玩笑，但他最终赢得了整个比赛……真是个了不起的孩子。”
那么，马穆克拉什维利兑现了他的承诺吗？
“当然，你必须兑现你所承诺的任何事情，”他说道。“作为一个男人，那就是你的承诺。那就是我们所拥有的一切。所以，我确保他第二天就拿到了，希望他玩得开心。”
2025年3月13日，圣安东尼奥马刺队的桑德罗·马穆克拉什维利在德克萨斯州圣安东尼奥市的卫理公会儿童医院
马穆克拉什维利说，他还很享受了解儿童生活专家的职责。斯韦德林说，儿童生活专家帮助患者及其家人应对住院带来的恐惧和焦虑。
“我们通过提供准备、教育、程序支持和医院的正常生活等方式来实现这一点，”斯韦德林说道。“我们的工作实际上是帮助孩子们在住院期间不感到害怕，并使其更像是一种正常的体验，这就是像桑德罗这样的访问如此重要的原因。”
斯韦德林说，他非常真诚，这也有所帮助。
“孩子们喜欢任何访问，”她说道。“然而，当你能看出来访者非常投入到访问中，并且渴望了解孩子们，并且渴望了解他们的家人时，这对我们的患者及其家人来说意义重大。”
马穆克拉什维利观摩了儿童生活专家的工作。这位身高6尺9、体重240磅的西顿霍尔大学校友帮助参与了关于静脉治疗的教育，以消除对静脉注射和针头的误解。他还参与了音乐治疗课程，在那里他与孩子们一起唱歌和演奏乐器。
当然，他还和他们一起玩电子游戏，以帮助培养一种正常的氛围。
斯韦德林负责的团队包括儿童生活专家、一名儿童生活助理、患者游戏和技术专家、音乐治疗师、活动协调员、精神健康顾问。它还包括情感支持犬，斯韦德林说它们只是“给予爱”。
“我们拥有一支真正多元化的多学科团队，这使我们能够以任何方式最好地为患者及其家人服务，以帮助他们的访问并帮助他们应对住院，”斯韦德林说道。
马穆克拉什维利对斯韦德林团队成员的积极性以及他们对每位患者给予的关怀和关注印象深刻。
“有时医生只是进来看看你，以确保，哦是的，他很好，但（儿童生活专家）非常亲力亲为，”马穆克拉什维利说道。“他们确保进行对话，确保孩子们周围的一切都是积极的……他们做得非常出色。
“总的来说，我印象非常深刻。我肯定会再次访问，并确保我至少能给他们带来积极性。”
在整个医院访问期间，马穆克拉什维利都想到了他的父亲。
“他已经缓解了，希望永远不会复发，”马穆克拉什维利说道。“但正如我所说，这是一种很难克服的疾病。所以，很高兴看到儿童生活专家所做的事情。这是一次非常积极的访问。”
Sandro Mamukelashvili of the San Antonio Spurs attends the Methodist Children’s Hospital in San Antonio, Texas on March 13, 2025
Sandro Mamukelashvili of the San Antonio Spurs attends the Methodist Children’s Hospital in San Antonio, Texas on March 13, 2025
Sandro Mamukelashvili of the San Antonio Spurs attends the Methodist Children’s Hospital in San Antonio, Texas on March 13, 2025
Sandro Mamukelashvili of the San Antonio Spurs attends the Methodist Children’s Hospital in San Antonio, Texas on March 13, 2025
Sandro Mamukelashvili of the San Antonio Spurs attends the Methodist Children’s Hospital in San Antonio, Texas on March 13, 2025
Sandro Mamukelashvili of the San Antonio Spurs attends the Methodist Children’s Hospital in San Antonio, Texas on March 13, 2025
Sandro Mamukelashvili of the San Antonio Spurs attends the Methodist Children’s Hospital in San Antonio, Texas on March 13, 2025
Sandro Mamukelashvili of the San Antonio Spurs attends the Methodist Children’s Hospital in San Antonio, Texas on March 13, 2025
Sandro Mamukelashvili of the San Antonio Spurs attends the Methodist Children’s Hospital in San Antonio, Texas on March 13, 2025
Sandro Mamukelashvili of the San Antonio Spurs attends the Methodist Children’s Hospital in San Antonio, Texas on March 13, 2025
点击查看原文：Mamukelashvili spreads genuine positive vibes at children's hospital
Mamukelashvili spreads genuine positive vibes at children’s hospital
Sandro Mamukelashvili of the San Antonio Spurs attends the Methodist Children’s Hospital in San Antonio, Texas on March 13, 2025
As a child growing up in Tbilisi, Georgia, in Eastern Europe, Sandro Mamukelashvili thought his father was indestructible.
But that was before Zurab Mamukelashvili had to go through chemotherapy treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma.
“He went from a father who I thought was made out of iron and would never break to somebody who is kind of basically in a here, not here type of situation,” the younger Mamukelashvili said.
Given what he saw his father endure, Mamukelashvili quickly raised his hand when the Spurs asked for a player to volunteer for a visit to Methodist Children’s Hospital in San Antonio to interact with patients in recognition of Child Life Month and to raise awareness about the work of the hospital’s child life specialists.
“As a kid, a major illness is a really hard thing to go through,” Mamukelashvili said Thursday after a morning shootaround in preparation for the game against the Cavaliers later that night. “As basketball players, we can bring smiles to their faces and to their families, kind of give them a little bit of positivity. It’s tough for them, especially when you’re going through chemotherapy or you’ve been diagnosed with cancer and have so many thoughts in your head.”
Mamukelashvili, 25, was in middle school when his father battled cancer. He often had to stay with his father’s sister when his mother, Marianna, accompanied Zurab to Turkey for chemotherapy. In an attempt to shield him from the seriousness of Zurab’s condition, they told their son that Zurab was just “sick.”
But that still didn’t stop Mamukelashvili from experiencing anxiety and fear while watching his father, a 6-foot-6 former basketball player, suffer.
“It was a long process,” the fourth-year forward said. “It was really scary. I remember him being unable to walk, being unable to eat. It’s a very, very tough illness.”
Zurab is 66 and in remission now. The experience left his son feeling empathy for families dealing with cancer and other illnesses.
“I know it’s tough for the person going through it and for their family members,” Mamukelashvili said, “so anything we can do to lighten the mood and make sure they know we have their back and understand what they’re going through is very big.”
When Mamukelashvili visited the hospital two weeks ago, it was apparent to staffers there he wasn’t going through the motions.
“The visit with Sandro was phenomenal,” said Brielle Swerdlin, Methodist Children’s Hospital’s child life and integrative care manager.
“He was really engaged with the patients and their families and really showed a true interest in them and their stories and why they were here,” Swerdlin said. “You could tell he didn’t just come to visit because it was an obligation. When he was here with the patients and the families, he was so engaged and wanting to get to know them. You could tell he truly enjoyed being here, and that is what makes a visit so impactful.”
A special moment came when a patient challenged Mamukelashvili to a game of Fortnite on a PlayStation 4 video console.
“He was like, ‘Oh, I’m going to put on a show for you,’ and I said to him that if he gets to the top 15, I would give him a PlayStation 5,” Mamukelashvili said. “I think he thought I was joking, but he actually ended up winning the whole thing. … Amazing kid.”
So, did Mamukelashvili make good on the bet?
“Of course, you got to honor whatever you promise,” he said. “As man, that’s your word. That’s all we have. So, I made sure he got it the next day, and, hopefully, he’s enjoying it.”
Sandro Mamukelashvili of the San Antonio Spurs attends the Methodist Children’s Hospital in San Antonio, Texas on March 13, 2025
Mamukelashvili said he also enjoyed learning about the duties of a child life specialist. Swerdlin said child life specialists help patients and their families with the fear and anxiety that comes from being hospitalized.
“We do that by providing preparation, education, procedural support and normalcy in the hospital amongst other things,” Swerdlin said. “Our job really is to help kids not be scared while they’re here and to make it more fun and more like a normal experience, which is why visits like having Sandro’s are so important.”
And it helped that he was so genuine, Swerlin said.
“The kids like any visit,” she said. “However, when you can tell the visitor is super into the visit and wanting to get to know the kids and wanting to get to know the families, it just means all that much more to our patients and their families.”
Mamukelashvili shadowed the child life specialists. The 6-9, 240-pound Seton Hall alumnus helped participate in education about intravenous therapy to dispel misconceptions about IVs and needles. He also participated in a music therapy session, where he sang and played instruments with the children.
And, of course, he played video games with them to help foster a sense of normalcy.
The team Swerdlin oversees includes child life specialists, a child life assistant, patient gaming and technology specialists, music therapists, activities coordinators, music therapists, a mental health counselor. It also includes emotional support dogs, which Swerdlin said simply “give love.”
“We have a really diverse multidisciplinary team, which allows us to best serve the patients and their families in any way we can to help their visit and help them cope with being in the hospital,” Swerdlin said.
Mamukelashvili was struck by how positive Swerdlin’s team members were and by the amount of care and attention they give each patient.
“Sometimes the doctors just come in and just check on you to make sure, oh yeah, he’s good, but (child life specialist) are very hands-on,” Mamukelashvili said. "They make sure they have conversations, make sure everything is positive around the kids. … They’re doing an amazing job.
“Overall, I was very impressed. I would definitely go visit again and make sure I can at least bring positivity to them.”
Throughout his visit to the hospital, Mamukelashvili had his father in mind.
“He’s in remission and hopefully it never comes back,” Mamukelashvili said. “But as I said, it’s a tough illness to get over. So, it was great seeing what the child life specialists do. It was such a positive visit.”
By Tom Orsborn, Staff writer, via San Antonio Express-News