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I knew Timmy would come thru
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b...H.326acef.html
Thief took ailing teen's autographed Spurs jersey
Web Posted: 11/07/2007 11:42 PM CST
Nancy Martinez
Express-News
Katherina Dubesky's wish had come true.
The 6-foot-1-inch Canadian teen, who suffers from a rare and serious disease called Wegener's granulomatosis, shot hoops and chatted with her idol, Tim Duncan. She then watched him and the Spurs defeat the Dallas Mavericks.
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Afterward, Duncan posed for pictures with Dubesky and signed a Spurs jersey for her. So proud of it, she promptly posted on her MySpace.com site. She called Duncan's gift to her "priceless."
But on Monday, that jersey — the cherished symbol of her February 2006 trip to San Antonio — was stolen from her Manitoba home. The next day, the family believes, the same thief stole its beige 2006 Buick Rendezvous.
Still, leave it to Duncan to not accept defeat.
Despite being busy with a new season, Duncan will make time to mail Dubesky a second autographed jersey, Spurs officials said. His humbleness is what Dubesky remembers so fondly about her "hero."
"In a way, he was just like a normal person. A lot of times, their fame goes to their head, but he wasn't like that at all. It was an amazing experience," said Dubesky, now 17. "He was so nice. We talked about basketball. He told me that I shot like his sister."
Wegener's granulomatosis is a disease that restricts blood flow to organs, making breathing difficult. It has required the high school junior to undergo more than 10 surgeries.
Kristy Owen, a staffer at Sports Cards Plus, a shop on Lockhill Selma Road that buys and sells sports memorabilia, said an autographed Spurs jersey could be worth as much as $1,000.
But Dubesky said the thief took more than a jersey.
"My life is full of challenges, but when I'm going through hard times, I think about my trip to San Antonio," Dubesky said. "For someone to come here and take it, it breaks my heart."
Manitoba police Constable Jacqueline Chaput said officials are investigating the theft. She said the break-in happened Monday morning after the family left its home.
"During the initial break and enter, a set of keys were stolen," she said. "Someone went back there and stole the vehicle from the garage that night."
As for any promising leads, "At this point we are investigating, and we certainly hope we can make an arrest, but that is all we can say," she said.
Kris Davis, senior media services coordinator for the Spurs, said that upon hearing about Dubesky's loss, Duncan quickly agreed to mail another autographed jersey.
"The games are the priority, but we're trying to make things happen," Davis said. "We want to make sure we can do all we can to make this a little easier for her."
Dubesky's weeklong San Antonio visit, which included a stay on the River Walk and a visit to SeaWorld San Antonio, was arranged by the Children's Wish Foundation of Canada, an organization that works to grant wishes to children living with high-risk, life-threatening illnesses.
Dubesky's mother, Lynn Dubesky, penned a note to the foundation just after the trip:
"My favorite part was seeing my child so awe-struck by the whole trip. She loved the city, the hotel, the basketball practice, the game and Tim Duncan," Lynn Dubesky said. "The shopping, and being kissed by a whale at SeaWorld — it was six days of magic for her, who has courageously suffered and endured so much."
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No surprise here, at least noone can ever take away the memories.
Well done.
Its nice to see a pro athlete do something like this, usually most of the stories we hear about them are negative.
Nice job TD.
Yup...you just knew TD would hook it up...he's a class act.
Way to go, TD. Cheers!
Timmy is such a great guy
Many props to Timmy!
Glad they're sending her another one!
Wouldn't be surprised if this one gets stolen too.
I would think that even though it's Canada, authorities might have figured out by now to set up a sting.
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