Kimberly Amos, a 67-year-old St. Louis woman who has lived with stage IV neuroendocrine cancer since 2016, got to check off a lifelong dream this week: helping prepare the field at Busch Stadium before a St. Louis Cardinals game as an honorary member of the grounds crew.
The experience came courtesy of Wish of a Lifetime from AARP, a nonprofit that granted Amos's wish to become an honorary member of the Cardinals grounds crew, according to FOX 2. The organization was founded in 2008 by two-time Olympian and former NFL player Jeremy Bloom in honor of his grandmother Donna Wheeler, after Bloom observed the deep respect shown to elders during international ski competitions, per Wish of a Lifetime. It became an official charitable affiliate of AARP in August 2020.
To qualify for a wish through the program, an applicant must be at least 65 years old, live in the United States or its territories, be physically and mentally capable of experiencing the wish, and be unable to fulfill it independently — criteria the organization's own guidelines lay out, and which set the program apart from Make-A-Wish, which serves children under 18. Wish of a Lifetime has granted more than 3,000 wishes across all 50 states since its founding, with a mission centered on promoting healthy aging and combating senior isolation, a risk factor tied to chronic health conditions.
A Diagnosis Rooted in Family History
Amos was diagnosed with stage IV neuroendocrine cancer in 2016, the same disease that took her mother's life, FOX 2 reports. Neuroendocrine tumors are a relatively rare category of cancer that develop in hormone-producing cells throughout the body and are frequently misdiagnosed for years, but their diagnosed incidence in the United States climbed nearly seven-fold between 1973 and 2012, according to SEER registry data published in JAMA Oncology.
Patients diagnosed with stage IV or distant neuroendocrine tumors face roughly a 57% five-year overall survival rate, compared with 90% for localized cases, according to Mayo Clinic tracking data — outcomes that vary depending on whether the primary tumor site is in the pancreas, lungs, or gastrointestinal tract. Despite the diagnosis, Amos has continued cancer treatment while also participating in cancer research and supporting fellow patients through a local support group, per FOX 2's reporting.
A Life Defined by Giving Back
Beyond her own health battle, Amos is described as a treasured member of her community who has performed countless acts of kindness. She makes handmade baby blankets for families and works with students and teachers, according to the station's report.
Nationally, cancer statistics compiled by the American Cancer Society project more than 2.1 million new cancer cases in the United States in 2026, though overall cancer mortality has dropped significantly since 1991 thanks to improved early detection and treatment — a decline that has averted an estimated 4.8 million deaths over three decades, per OncLive. Amos's decade of survival and continued research participation reflect that broader trend even as her own prognosis remains serious.
Inside the Ballpark Experience
Busch Stadium's grounds crew is led by Head Groundskeeper Bill Findley, who has directed field operations and playing surface maintenance there since 1998, overseeing everything from intricate grass patterns to rapid turnarounds between events. The field itself relies on a specialized sand-based natural grass rootzone cut to a 1-inch profile over an engineered 10-inch rootzone and pea gravel layer, built to withstand intense summer heat and heavy stadium use, according to Bush Turf, which detailed the field's 2016 multi-layered reconstruction.
That natural grass has a complicated history at the ballpark. Busch Memorial Stadium operated with natural grass until 1970, when it became one of the first outdoor major league stadiums to switch to artificial AstroTurf — a change that came, per This Great Game, after groundskeepers had famously resorted to painting failing grass green to keep it presentable. The Cardinals converted back to natural grass in 1995, the surface Amos helped tend to this week.
Amos's wish also fits into a broader pattern of Major League Baseball teams partnering with Wish of a Lifetime for senior dream experiences. In 2023, the Washington Nationals made a 72-year-old fan an honorary bat boy, an experience that included prepping dugout equipment and shouting “Play ball!” according to the nonprofit's own account of the event.
