Artist surprises boy battling cancer with epic Cubs bedroom

There’s no denying that beautiful things emerge when sports and art collide. But, this story about an artist surprising a 7-year-old boy who is battling cancer with a Chicago Cubs-themed bedroom will take your breath away.

Joey Ventimiglia was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive brain tumor called DIPG (Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma) in September of 2016.

“This tumor is a demon that grows until the child cannot move, talk, see, swallow or chew anymore- until it ultimately steals their life,” his family wrote on his GoFundMe page.

Joey and his parents have been traveling to Monterrey, Mexico to take part in experimental treatments, which are reportedly yielding some “positive results.”

When muralist and Crayons Gone Wild owner Ken Markiewicz learned about Joey and his disease from WGN, he reached out to the family. Knowing the boy was a huge Cubs fan, he offered to turn Joey’s bedroom into something any baseball fan would love.

So, without charging a penny, Markiewicz got to work while Joey and his parents were in Mexico for the latest round of treatment. He painted a colorful Cubs logo on the wall next to a new bed, put a giant “W” on the ceiling and drew a Cubs baseball on the the closet doors.

“The art, I feel like it’s a real gift that’s been given to me to share and bring happiness to people, and what better than finding someone like Joey?” Markiewicz told WGN.

“Changing his room from what it was, that he’s been living with since he was a little kid…He wants a ‘big boy’ room. He wants his Cubs room.”

But, back to those closet doors. Before installing them, Markiewicz posted on social media that he was trying to get them signed by the entire 2017 Cubs’ roster. Thanks to the request going viral, the doors made their way to the Wrigley Field clubhouse, where the team was happy to sign.

You can watch Joey’s reaction to his new room here:

The Cubs may have lost Game 2 of the divisional series against the Nationals on Saturday, but there’s a 7-year-old boy who is probably still smiling underneath his covers and colossal “W.”