AUSTIN, Texas — When you step inside Q2 Stadium for a typical Austin FC home game, it's Verde everywhere you look.
But for Wednesday's midweek game against LA FC, Verde took a back seat to gold.
Everything from the nets to the balls to the warm-up jerseys looked different.
That's because it was Kick Childhood Cancer Night, and two special guests were on hand to share their stories with KVUE.
Cody Robert is a 15-year-old at Regents High School.
"In December of 2017, I was diagnosed with leukemia," he said.
Adeline Jansson is a 14-year-old at Georgetown High School.
"We thought it was appendicitis from all the other symptoms, but turned out it was leukemia," she said.
Adeline is a lifelong soccer fan and has struck up a friendship with Austin FC sporting director Claudio Reyna. She was invited to watch a game from his suite and has attended a practice at St. David's Performance Center.
While she's in remission, she continues to go through treatments.
"She still takes chemo every day," her mom, Katie, said. "She took chemo in her seat a little bit ago at the game."
For Cody, it's all about the community.
"I leaned on them the whole way," he said.
He witnessed the communal aspect of soccer firsthand when he was honored at halftime on Wednesday.
Cody has beaten cancer, but his fight is still fresh on the mind of his family.
"It's one of the worst feelings in the world when your kid gets to a point where you can't give them what they need," his dad, Steven, said.
On Wednesday night, the Robert and Jansson families met for the first time. They're connected not by their struggles, but rather by their strength.
"There are going to be some dark days but there's an end to that, and there's an opportunity to be out doing things you love with people you love," Steven said.
"Cancer patients are so much more than just their diagnosis. It doesn't define us," Adeline said.
Adeline also encouraged others to register for the bone marrow registry, as some cancer patients rely on bone marrow transplants as their only cure. You can join if you're between the ages of 18 and 44, and can do so here.