Children at Jackson Memorial Hospital see Game 6 of NBA Finals day later

Heat forward James Jones makes surprise appearance, signs autographs

MIAMI – Some Miami Heat fans may have called in sick to work Wednesday after staying up late to watch the end of Game 6 of the NBA Finals.

However, some sick children at Jackson Memorial Hospital didn't get to see the game until Wednesday.

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While the Heat tied the game, sending it into a thrilling, nail-biting overtime, those children at Holtz Children's Hospital, a few battling life-threatening illnesses, were sound asleep.

A day later, they had the chance to see what everyone was talking about.

"This is a way for us to give them an opportunity to have some fun, socialize, and forget about the hospital and all the meds and all that stuff for a little while," said Jenny Justice with the hospital.

Any hospital "stuff" was overpowered by Heat gear, decorated wagons and white-hot chocolate cupcakes.

For the family of 4-year-old Brandy, who is battling leukemia, it meant a lot.

"It's pretty good because she don't get out," said the girl's grandmother. "We really appreciate it."

Raymond Jimenez, 12, is at the hospital for a battery of tests. He was able to forget all of that on Wednesday.

"It's really fun," he said.

"This is a very nice thing for them to do," said Elsie Jimenez, Raymond's mother. "This is like taking things out of his mind right now."

Heat forward James Jones later came. He signed autographs and took photos with fans.

"I'm glad that you enjoyed it," Jones said. "It was a crazy game."

Jones put his own job in perspective at the hospital.

"It's still a game and this is life," said Jones. "I enjoy interacting with kids and families because without them, my profession wouldn't exist, and more important, I'm a citizen of Miami and we're one big community and it means a lot to the kids for us to be here and it also means a lot to the families, and that's what it's about."