When Sophia Roybal Anderson and her moms arrive at Crypto.com Arena, home of the Los Angeles Lakers, on the morning of February 8, the not-quite-yet-7-year-old from New Mexico is a little shy but still eager to enter the mostly empty building and meet the Laker Girls, who already are on the court preparing their dance routines for this afternoon’s game. By the time she gets inside, however, it is like the sugar from her breakfast has just kicked in and she is running in circles and giggling with a nervous excitement that pours out of her.
Today, Sophia will be a Laker Girl, too.
Sophia’s journey to this day began not long after she was born, on March 13, 2018, in Albuquerque, with a hole in her heart. Two holes, actually, a large one in the bottom chambers and a medium-size one in the top chambers, UCLA Health pediatric cardiologist Gary Satou, MD (RES ’96), informed her mothers, Hope Anderson and Yvette Roybal. After five years of trying to get pregnant, Anderson and Roybal were determined to seek the best care possible for their child, and they found their way to UCLA and Dr. Satou — driving 13 hours to see him because the baby was too frail to travel by air. Several months later, Sophia underwent surgery at UCLA to repair the defects.
Sophia has come a long way since then. Today, she is sweet, spunky, sassy, driven and “just awesome,” her moms say. “She loves acting and performing — that’s her zone.” Sophia plays soccer and is starting gymnastics. And she is an especially empathetic child. When another child in school falls down, Sophia is the first one to come help them up, her teachers report.
The family continues to make annual trips from their home in Santa Fe to Westwood for checkups with Dr. Satou.
Which brings us to this day. For this year’s visit, Sophia was selected to participate in the UCLA Health Laker for a Day program, which recognizes UCLA Health patients who face serious illnesses with courage, strength and determination with a behind-the-scenes experience during a Lakers home game.
The Laker Girls are in the middle of rehearsing a routine as Sophia and her moms are brought onto the floor and seated courtside — where celebrities typically sit during games — to watch the practice. The dance team’s coaches come over and introduce themselves, making Sophia feel at ease with questions like, “What’s your favorite music?” and “Are you ready to learn some dances?”
Soon, the entire team is wrapping Sophia in the warmth of their smiles, and bursting with their own excitement at the surprise they are about to give her — that she will join them as a special Laker Girl for the day. After showing her a few simple routines, which Sophia quickly picks up, she shows the team a move of her own: a hop-and-twirl combination that earned cheers from the Laker Girls.
Now for the big reveal. Two of the team members present Sophia with her own custom Laker Girl outfit — the same one that the team members will wear for the game. The sparkle of her smile is reflected in the glitter of the team jersey. Holding tight to her new team uniform and a pair of new sneakers, Sophia’s excitement can hardly be contained as she sprints over to her moms to show them off.
The day progresses, and in a suite overlooking the court Sophia and her moms are joined by other members of their family — her aunt, grandparents and 3-year-old brother. Sophia can’t wait to show off her Laker Girl outfit and quickly changes. Before the game starts, two team members come to the suite to spend time with her, braiding her hair and (with moms’ approval) giving her some light makeup.
Then it is time to go down to the floor so Sophia can join the rest of the team. In the tunnel leading to the court, the other members of the team are thrilled to see Sophia in her matching outfit — the littlest Laker Girl — and she joins them for warm-ups and demonstrates her own flexibility before learning the basics of the Laker Girls’ signature “catwalk” entrance. Sophia then steps into the packed arena holding the hands of two of her new teammates.
As the game is about to start and the Laker Girls go to work, Sophia returns to the suite to watch the first half with her family. But there is another surprise: Dr. Satou is in the house, and he pays her a special visit, along with other members of her care team — pediatric cardiac surgeon Peyman Benharash, MD ’02 (RES ’08, FEL ’10), and Patricia Roderick, director of special projects for UCLA Health and the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, who has become a family friend.
At halftime, Sophia and her family are escorted down to the floor to prepare for her big moment. They are seated on the bench courtside with the Laker Girls, and during a timeout in the third quarter, Sophia and the entire squad make their way to center court where a video montage of Sophia’s journey, from her birth to today, plays on the big scoreboard and the PA announcer tells the assembled fans about her life. As the video finishes, the announcer calls on the audience to celebrate Sophia, and the crowd erupts with thunderous applause. To cap off the celebration, Sophia performs a routine with the Laker Girls. Then it is back to the suite to watch the rest of the game.
And that is Sophia’s wonderful, amazing, good, very great day as the ultimate Laker Girl.
Eric Glassner is associate director for UCLA Health Corporate Partnerships. UCLA Health Marketing Communications senior writer Sandy Cohen contributed reporting.
