Young Steelers fan battling cancer gets surprise from Kenny Pickett during facility tour

PITTSBURGH — A young Steelers fan in the middle of cancer treatments got a big surprise from his favorite player earlier this week.

When Landyn Strosnider and his mom showed up at the Steelers facility on the South Side Tuesday, they knew they’d be taking a tour. What they didn’t expect was that Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett would be their guide.

“When we came through the tunnels, you see the city, and I said ‘I’m so happy that we’re coming in one time to do something fun,’” said Andrea Strosnider, Landyn’s mother.

Since Landyn was diagnosed with Leukemia earlier this year, most of his trips to Pittsburgh include a stop at UPMC Children’s Hospital.

Just for a few hours Tuesday, the doctors, treatments and tests took a back seat.

“The look on his face, especially when Kenny walked in, we had no idea he was coming here,” Andrea Strosnider said.

Landyn’s tour included a glimpse at the six Super Bowl trophies and even a round of catch on the practice field.

When asked what he enjoyed the most about his day, Landyn said, “Catching the pass with Kenny.”

For Pickett, it was an hour of his day in exchange for lasting impact.

“He’s a huge Steeler fan,” Pickett said. “I could see it in his eyes when he walked through here. He had a smile on his face walking around the facility. Having a catch was awesome with him. I had a great day. I hope he did too.”

With an autographed football and new Steelers gear in hand, Landyn returned home with a smile.

He also had a pretty good idea of what he planned to tell his friends about his big day with QB1.

“Brag about it,” he said with a laugh.

Pickett partners with our 11 Cares partner Edgar Synder and Associates to support Connecting Champions, which helped to make Landyn’s visit possible.

Connecting Champions is a nonprofit that helps kids with cancer team up with new mentors and friends.

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