MLB legend uses late teammate's story to spread awareness on heart health, high cholesterol

Albert Pujols was successful the midst of his 2nd MLB play erstwhile helium was astatine Wrigley Field and astir to find retired immoderate of the worst quality of his life.

Pujols's St. Louis Cardinals were successful Chicago connected June 22, 2002, to instrumentality connected their NL Central rival Cubs erstwhile catcher Joe Girardi announced to the Wrigley Field assemblage that their crippled had been canceled owed to a "tragedy successful the Cardinals family."

Right earlier Girardi addressed the crowd, the Cardinals were informed that starting pitcher Darryl Kile abruptly died astatine property 33.

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Albert Pujols and Darryl Kile of the St. Louis Cardinals locomotion connected the tract during a crippled against the Pittsburgh Pirates astatine Busch Stadium successful St. Louis, Missouri, connected May 10, 2001. (Elsa/Getty Images)

"I mean, it was devastating, and you commencement crying, it was a atrocious acquisition for us," Pujols recalled to Fox News Digital astir "the archetypal feline to instrumentality maine nether his wing."

Nearly 24 years aft Kile's death, though, the pitcher's interaction connected Pujols remains strong. Now, Pujols is doing his portion to instrumentality the favor.

The aboriginal Hall of Famer is joining chap Cardinals fable Adam Wainwright, Kile's girl and pharmaceutical elephantine Merck, who teamed up past year, to rise consciousness of the hazard of bosom illness and precocious cholesterol.

"What her begetter did to me," Pujols said successful a associated interrogation with Sierra Kile, pointing to her, "the interaction that helium made connected maine for that abbreviated play of clip that we worked together, it was beauteous special."

"Great quality being who unluckily near this world excessively early, but helium had that impact, and present we get to benignant of bring to beingness his story, and usage his communicative to truly amended radical astir precocious cholesterin and this illness and forestall radical from having a bosom onslaught if you don't instrumentality attraction of yourself," Pujols said. "So I'm truly blessed to beryllium involved. And I'm truly blessed to spot Sierra here."

Sierra Kile was thrilled to person Pujols connected her team.

"The archetypal happening helium said to maine was 'Last clip I saw you, you were 5 years aged and tiny,'" Kile said of reconnecting the MLB fable with 703 location runs. "But being a portion of this programme with Merck, getting to usage my dad's communicative to assistance dispersed consciousness connected conscionable the dangers of atrocious cholesterin and getting to your doc is, it means a batch to me, and I'm truly blessed to person Albert and conscionable truthful galore radical progressive successful this."

The St. Louis Cardinals basal connected the tract watching a video tribute honoring Darryl Kile, the Cardinals pitcher who died of bosom nonaccomplishment astatine property 33. (Elsa/Getty Images)

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Sierra was conscionable 5 years aged erstwhile she mislaid her father, but she ever knew she wanted to support her dad's bequest alive.

"My mom, erstwhile she was raising my brothers and I, conscionable did a truly bully occupation of telling maine astir my dad, and I deliberation seeing players that helium utilized to enactment with, conscionable archer maine thing but astonishing things astir him arsenic a teammate, a player, and conscionable a feline overall," Kile said. "And I've conscionable been capable to unrecorded successful his shoes done the stories that I've heard from Albert and immoderate of the guys that helium utilized to play with has conscionable been amazing."

Pujols played successful 22 MLB seasons, yet becoming a mentor to the adjacent generation, namely Mike Trout. Once helium was an established veteran, helium knew to wage it forward, and helium knows to bash the aforesaid successful retirement.

"I remembered wherefore helium took maine nether his wing, wherefore helium wanted to assistance me, wherefore helium wanted to thatch maine antithetic things, wherefore helium wanted to usher me. It was due to the fact that of moments similar this, and moments similar I did during my 22 years arsenic a professional, guiding others arsenic well, and hopefully, who knows wherever that communicative volition spell erstwhile you truly marque a quality connected somebody," Pujols said.

A Darryl Kile jersey hangs successful the St. Louis Cardinals dugout days aft his death. (Elsa/Getty Images)

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"Here I am, you know, 26 years later, 27 years later, talking astir him similar it was yesterday. The interaction that helium made successful my life, it's truly special. And it's bully to spot and get connected with Sierra, with the family, and conscionable notation his name, and usage this calamity to a affirmative moment."

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