DAVIE, Fla. -- Miami Dolphins wide receiver DeVante Parker looked up into the windows at Miami's Nicklaus Children's Hospital as a group of seriously ill kids and their families leaned up against the windows, smiled wide and waved back.
During some of the most difficult moments of their lives, Parker was trying to give the kids reasons to be happy, and there were plenty of happy tears shed on that Dec. 8 morning after Parker unveiled his own cartoon-inspired "Uncle Vante" hospital gowns for children to wear.
Parker, who is often a reserved individual, spoke to the pediatric patients in the Tuesday news conference that was streamed virtually on their hospital room TVs about how his digital cartoon helps him share his personality while also staying true to himself.
For those of you who don't know, I am a cartoon fanatic. I'm very excited and proud to release my own, starring myself and @thepeeweeparker . Stay tuned over the next few months to see how our story unfolds! #UncleVante pic.twitter.com/UnFb1G1JOE
— DeVante Parker (@DeVanteParker11) July 21, 2020
The black gowns are a pajama-like material (soft, heavy, medical grade double-wrapped) and feature colorful animated pictures of Parker and his fictional nephew "PeeWee," a tribute to his cartoon which launched on social media this summer. The gowns will help kids, many of them Dolphins fans, transform the terrifying moment when they have to unclothe in preparation for a hospital stay, surgery or major procedure. Parker, 27, hopes the gowns can assist in small but important ways as patients face their medical battles.
"The gown was cool but seeing DeVante on TV and then from my window was the best part," Jayden, 7, said.
Parker, his agent Jimmy Gould and banking advisor Thomas Fox, purchased 1,200 custom "Uncle Vante" gowns and partnered with Starlight Children's Foundation to have them delivered to eight South Florida children's hospitals. Starlight regularly designs specialized Disney gowns, but the "Uncle Vante" gown is unique because it especially appeals to teenagers and sports fans. Parker's hope is to fulfill a second wave of "Uncle Vante" gowns for distribution by June 2021.
"Growing up and to this day I have always loved cartoons, with 'SpongeBob' being my favorite show. Launching my own cartoon series has been a lot of fun, and I have enjoyed seeing the characters come to life," Parker said. "But I am most proud that we have used my cartoon to put smiles on children's faces suffering from various illnesses."
Smiles from kids like Jayden make Parker's mission come to life.
This "Uncle Vante" journey began in May when a marketing agent, Alexander Aigen, had an idea about creating a cartoon for Parker. Aigen reached out to Gould, who has a motion-picture production background working in Hollywood, and they partnered with the Dolphins' 2015 first-round pick to form the "Uncle Vante" brand. The series brings Parker's love of cartoons to life in a fun way while also providing a platform for the Dolphins' longest tenured player (since 2015) to give back to his community.
The character PeeWee -- an annoying, curious and loving nephew drawn from the idea of the Lil Penny Hardaway cartoon -- was created to further bring out Parker's personality. Parker says Dolphins teammate and wide receiver Jakeem Grant is the real-life inspiration for PeeWee.
"I appreciate him for just doing something based off of our friendship and our brotherhood," Grant said. "I'm always messing with DeVante. I'm just trying to tell him that I'm bigger than him, I'm better than him, just the typical 'Unc' and 'Neph,' just to continue to get that rolling. Everybody loves it. It's just something that we did just playing around. I guess it just blew up."
Through four episodes this season, the cartoon has introduced animated guest features with NBA star D'Angelo Russell, ESPN reporter Adam Schefter and Grant. The show length has ranged from one minute, 15 seconds to two minutes, 10 seconds: ideal for Twitter and Instagram. Parker is the creator, a producer and does his own voiceover. Gould and Aigen write and executive produce the episodes with a handful of others contributing.
"Coming in early, I wasn't really known as the talkative type. But I'm trying to let my personality out a little bit more now," Parker said. "A lot of people want to be on the show. It's something big to me."
That takes us back to the moment at the hospital. NFL players often talk about their on-field legacies, but for Parker, this is his first taste of building something more meaningful outside of football.
Parker's "Uncle Vante" gowns make the kids' journeys, many of whom are hospitalized after major accidents or are battling cancer or heart issues, just a little easier, Starlight CEO Adam Garone told him recently.
"Every day there's two or three kids in those hospitals in South Florida that are putting on the 'Uncle Vante' gown and they feel a bit braver, a bit stronger and a bit happier because of you," Garone said. "Every day take a moment to think about the impact you're having on families you may never meet."