Below is a press release from Shriners Children’s:
ARLINGTON, TX — Millions of people across the country have seen the likeness of Nicole Urteaga and Mike Esposito many times throughout the years but may not know the real-life story behind the little girl and football player portrayed in the East-West Shrine Bowl (EWSB) logo.
The iconic, heart-warming image of Esposito holding Urteaga’s hand has been used at the EWSB for more than three decades, and it all started in 1974 when a 2-and-a-half-year-old Urteaga, who was recovering from hand surgery at Shriners Children’s, received a visit from the East-West Shrine Bowl players and started feeling overwhelmed by all of the commotion. Luckily for her, Esposito, a player for Boston College at the time, was quick to act.
“I still remember seeing her looking at the players, some of them had their football shirts on and we looked like a bunch of giants and she was a tiny little girl,” said Esposito. “My wife actually was the one that suggested I try taking her for a walk to help her calm down. As we were walking, she held my hand and a photographer behind us snapped our photo. From there, the rest is history. It’s very humbling because I know there have been a lot of really great players who’ve played in this game, so the fact that our photo is still being used as the logo is really special.”
Esposito and his wife continued to stay in contact with Urteaga throughout the years, getting updates as she grew up and had a family of her own. Now, 51 years after the photo was first taken, the two will have the chance to reunite in person for the second time at this year’s 100th East-West Shrine Bowl in Arlington on January 30 – celebrating a century of football games that supported life-changing care.
“I can’t wait to see her,” Esposito said. “I want to hear from her about how she’s been doing and meet her children. When the picture was taken, I had no idea anyone was taking my picture because I was so focused on Nicole. To me, that moment symbolizes the human connection and how we can all help each other. We were a bunch of behemoth football players in her hospital room, and her eyes just lit up when I asked her to go for a walk. It was a simple thing that led to something really special.”
For Urteaga, the logo is a visible reminder of the impact Shriners Children’s has made throughout her life. Urteaga was born with Holt-Oram syndrome, a hereditary condition that causes physical hand differences such as missing thumbs. Throughout her childhood, Shriners Children’s performed four different surgeries on her hands, eventually creating thumbs which enabled Urteaga to be independent and perform everyday tasks such as holding cups or twisting door knobs. When her son Collin was born with Holt-Oram, she knew just where to take him.
“After all those years, the same doctor and nurse who took such great care of me were still at Shriners Children’s and they took care of my son,” Urteaga said. “As a parent, it felt like a weight was taken off my shoulders once I brought him there because I knew they would take good care of him. Between Mike and all of the other people we’ve met through Shriners Children’s, we’ve made some really amazing life-long connections. I’m excited to bring my family to this year’s game and see Mike again.”
Urteaga, Mike and LeeAnn Esposito, and Urteaga’s son will all be in attendance in Arlington at the 100th edition of the East-West Shrine Bowl. Esposito and Urteaga plan on taking the field together before the game to recreate the iconic image one more time.
About Shriners Children’s
Shriners Children’s improves the lives of children by providing pediatric specialty care, conducting innovative research, and offering outstanding education programs for medical professionals. Children with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate are eligible for care, regardless of the families’ ability to pay, and receive all care and services in a compassionate, family-centered environment. For more information, please visit shrinerschildrens.org.
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