Kosich enjoys day in the spotlight after recovering from illness

In the weeks leading up to celebrating the one year anniversary of his bone marrow transplant, St. Mary’s County resident Webb Kosich realized that a part of the celebration would be his chance to meet the U.S. men’s national soccer team on Saturday, June 8, at the team’s training facility in Bethesda.

But what he dd not realize was that the team, in conjunction with the Craig Willinger Fund, had several other unexpected surprises in store for him that evening. In addition to meeting the team, Kosich received a locker room tour which featured a locker designated for him, complete with a pair of signed cleats and an official match ball.

“When I got there, I knew they were going to take me down on the field so I could meet the team,” said Kosich, who was diagnosed with Aplastic Anemia roughly one month after completing his freshman season with the William & Mary men’s soccer team. “But I had no idea I was going to get a complete locker room tour and have my own locker and signed cleats. I was so grateful, I was almost speechless.”

Since its inception in 2009, the Craig Willinger Fund has sought to improve the lives of children and young adults such as Kosich who were stricken with critical, rare illnesses through innovative, virtually once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Kosich became the 16th such honoree, joining others who have enjoyed similar experiences in the United States and abroad.

“Everyone from the players, coaches, staff and front office helped Webb celebrate returning to the pitch after a grueling treatment and celebrated Julia’s contribution to his recovery,” Emily Agueda, Craig Willinger Fund trip chaperone, said. “Webb can now put his illness behind him and carry these memories for a lifetime.”

Kosich noted that he spent six weeks in the hospital in early 2023 after getting a bone marrow transplant from his sister, Julia Kosich.

But the memories did not end with his unscheduled trip to the locker room. Later that evening, while playing for the Annapolis Blues Football Club, Kosich scored his first goal since returning to the team.

Kosich, a St. Mary’s Ryken High School graduate, missed his entire sophomore season at William & Mary following his bone marrow transplant, but is expected to rejoin the squad this fall.

“When I first started back, I was surprised how quickly I would get tired,” Kosich said. “After the transplant, I lost 40 pounds and most of my hair because of the chemotherapy. I finally started to get my strength back, but it took me a while to feel like I was in playing shape again. I’ll be ready for the fall season and I plan to using my last three years of playing eligibility.”

The U.S. men’s team suffered a tough, 1-5 loss against Columbia in the friendly match on June 8. However, they tied Brazil four days later in another friendly match.