ORLANDO, Fla. — It’s the thrill of the game that drew Eli Sontag and his older brother Zack to lacrosse. Their age gap keeps them on separate teams, but they get all the brotherly competition out during practice drills at home.
It’s been a fun experience returning to the field for Eli, after having to sit out from the game he’s grown to love for almost two years. Back in 2023, at just 12 years old, Eli was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). He was bound to a hospital bed for weeks after starting chemotherapy almost immediately after being admitted.
“Despite everything he’s gone through, he just, he takes it head on with full confidence and no fear,” said Eli’s dad, Dr. Todd Sontag. “It’s easy to say you’re proud of him, but I really can’t think of a better word.”
On top of leaving the game, Eli also began losing his hair during his treatment, which, according to his family, changed the way he felt about himself. Already on the reserved side, Eli began to lose confidence in the way he looked. So, hats became his saving grace.
“It was when I lost my hair that I started wearing hats a lot,” Eli said. “Then I started thinking how much it could mean for other people if they were gifted one as well.”
That thought later became a 501(c)(3), known to the community as Hats4Hope. Eli said he and his brother Zack decided they wanted to help other people in realizing that they were not alone. Eli, as the one going through the journey with them, and his older brother Zack feeling the emotional demands of his literal brother’s diagnosis.
“It was difficult,” Zack explained. “That was my first year of high school. I was like a month in. I was taking AP classes, which was already difficult, but I had to adapt to it,” he said. “But Eli was strong, and he fought through it really well and I’m proud of him for that.”
The brother duo helps with unpacking all the hats purchased and donated through the Hats4Hope website, while their mother Monica plays an instrumental role in getting the hats assigned to people that have sent in requests for a child to receive one, and making sure they're mailed out in a timely manner.
Monica said she was surprised that the boys wanted to take on such a hands-on project like providing other kids with hats through a nonprofit, but she, too, can't describe the feeling any other way than proud.
“I just look back on how far he’s come since August and it’s just so nice to see him back to himself,” she said.
Todd shared that the nonprofit is still in the early stages, and while the boys are receiving requests for hats to be gifted to children, the goal is to reach more people in the community, host galas and other big events that will help boost the confidence of those dealing with childhood cancer.
“I’m giving back to the community that helped me when I was going through my treatment,” said Eli.
To purchase a hat from the Hats4Hope wishlist, click here. Otherwise, you can also donate to the cause, and a hat will be purchased for you. If you would like to gift a hat to a child experiencing hairless from chemotherapy treatment, you can fill out the form with details on their age, and what kind of characters, colors or sports teams that child likes so the hat can be catered to them.