OAKLAND -- Gabriel De La Cruz grinned from ear to ear after firing a strike to A’s right-hander Paul Blackburn for the ceremonial first pitch on Opening Day. It was the perfect ending to a perfect day.

Or so he thought.

Hosted at the Coliseum on Thursday in partnership with Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area, De La Cruz -- a 15-year-old lifelong A’s fan who was diagnosed with ALL B-Cell Leukemia in 2021 -- had already been starstruck as he watched his favorite team’s batting practice from the field along with his parents. After embracing Blackburn near the pitcher’s mound, he received the surprise of a lifetime.

De La Cruz’s day to remember was capped by learning that his ultimate dream would be realized. Directed to the Coliseum big screen in left field, he watched a video package that featured his favorite A’s player Tony Kemp, as well as stars Mike Trout, Bryce Harper and Seth Brown, informing him that his wish of attending the 2023 MLB All-Star Game in Seattle has been granted. As a special VIP guest of MLB, De La Cruz will get to attend all events at T-Mobile Park, including All-Star Saturday (SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game and the Celebrity Softball Game), the T-Mobile Home Run Derby and the MLB All-Star Game -- all from the comfort of a luxury suite.

“I threw a strike and I was just really happy about that,” De La Cruz said. “And then the surprise after, it was really exciting. I’ve never had this happen to me. It was great.”

Sharing the moment with De La Cruz was equally special for Blackburn.

“Just being able to put a smile on his face, that’s all that really matters,” Blackburn said. “I was standing next to him when they put on the big screen that he was going to Seattle and he put his head down and started clapping his glove together. He was so pumped. It’s so cool just to see that.”

What does De La Cruz look forward to the most at All-Star week?

“I’d say the game itself,” De La Cruz said. “All of the [events] are together. To see all of them together is going to be really cool.”

The wish fulfilled symbolizes a positive turning point in De La Cruz’s recovery. He was able to get his chemo port removed in April 2022 and is expected to fully complete his cancer treatment this July.

Cancer prevented De La Cruz from playing baseball, the sport he’s loved since joining Little League at the age of 4, for nearly two years. But it could only keep him away for so long. He’s since returned to the diamond and is currently a member of his high school varsity baseball team as a freshman.

De La Cruz also doesn’t foresee this being his last time taking the field in Oakland. He plans on taking his baseball dream quite far, targeting the year 2030 for his Major League debut with the A’s.

“That’s the plan,” De La Cruz said. “I play catcher and a little bit of second base.”