Last Thursday night, 14-year old Mo Gaba was set to take over the airwaves on Baltimore’s 105.7 The Fan from 6 – 9pm, alongside the timeslot’s regular host Jeremy Conn. But three hours wasn’t enough for the Baltimore sports superfan. Gaba and Conn took the show into its fifth hour as the lines remained full of callers and celebrities who wanted the chance to express gratitude.
Known as Lil’ Mo, the 14-year old Baltimore sports super fan is a three-time cancer survivor who is currently battling the disease for a fourth time. Having lost his vision at just nine months old, it’s estimated that Lil’ Mo has spent 75% of his life in the hospital.
For years, Lil’ Mo has been a frequent caller on 105.7 The Fan and built a local celebrity status, even drawing the attention of the Ravens and Orioles. The Fan’s evening host, Jeremy Conn took his show to Gaba’s bedroom Thursday night to co-host The Big Mo Show as the two put their heartwarming friendship on display.
The lines were filled with callers who were unified in their genuine love for Mo. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, former Orioles manager Buck Showalter, WWE superstar Roman Reigns, Baltimore icon Ray Lewis, wide receiver Torrey Smith and many other athletes joined the show, radio hosts Scott Garceau and Damon Amendolara also checked in.
Gaba’s toughness, resiliency and unwavering positivity touches everyone he speaks with. In 2019, he announced the Ravens fourth round pick of the NFL Draft, the first person to read a draft selection from a card written in Braille. When he graduated eighth-grade last month, police closed the street so hundreds of people could drive by to show Lil’ Mo and his family support, including Trey Mancini of the Orioles and Bradley Bozeman of the Ravens. And Thursday night, Baltimore was again able to show Mo how much he means to them, by listening and participating in his near five-hour radio show on 105.7 The Fan.
Brandon Contes is a former reporter for BSM, now working for Awful Announcing. You can find him on Twitter @BrandonContes or reach him by email at Brandon.Contes@gmail.com.
