Patrick Mahomes Helps Former Team Bus Driver Who Can’t Afford Heart Medication

Lester Wilkins woke up to the comforting smell of fresh coffee drifting from the kitchen. For the first time in months, waking didn’t feel painful or heavy; instead, it felt like relief. Sunlight streamed softly through the curtains, illuminating the bedroom he’d shared with his wife Dolores for nearly half a century. Memories adorned every wall—photographs from their wedding day, their children growing up, and Lester’s cherished days driving the Chicago Bulls’ team bus.

He slowly rose from bed, cautious after weeks of dizziness and exhaustion. On the nightstand was a framed handwritten note: “Thanks for always getting us there safely. – PM.” Lester smiled softly at the memory. The kindness Patrick Mahomes had shown him recently was still overwhelming.

A month earlier, Lester had been struggling with the cost of his essential heart medication, quietly sacrificing his health to spare his family financial strain. It had been Patrick Mahomes who appeared unexpectedly, late one evening, responding personally to a letter from Lester’s neighbor, Mrs. Patterson. Patrick hadn’t just offered help—he’d reminded Lester of his value, showing him dignity and respect he had feared was lost.

As Lester stepped into the kitchen, the rich aroma of coffee met him warmly. Dolores turned, eyes brightening. “You’re looking better today,” she smiled, pouring him a fresh cup. Her face, though weary from months of worry, held renewed hope.

“I feel stronger,” Lester admitted, sitting carefully at the kitchen table. He took the coffee Dolores offered, savoring the warmth that spread through him. “The medicine’s working.”

Dolores nodded, squeezing his shoulder gently. “It’s not just the medicine, Les. It’s having purpose again.”

She was right. After Patrick’s visit, Lester had accepted a consultant position at Patrick Mahomes’ foundation, spearheading a new initiative called “Behind the Scenes MVP.” The program aimed to support retired service workers from professional sports teams who, like Lester, struggled with health care costs after retirement. Each day, Lester reviewed applications, spoke with former colleagues, and shared insights that only someone who had lived the experience could provide.

Later that morning, Lester drove slowly to the foundation’s Chicago office. It felt good to drive again, the familiar streets filling him with nostalgia. At the office, the young staff greeted him warmly, eager for his insights. He’d become their mentor, their guide in understanding the true needs of retired workers.

Midway through the morning, Lester’s phone buzzed. It was Marcus, his youngest son. “Pop, Jamal got into college,” Marcus announced excitedly. “He just got the acceptance letter today.”

Lester’s heart swelled with pride. “Tell Jamal grandpa’s proud of him. And tell him to call me later—we’ll celebrate.”

After hanging up, Lester reflected on how quickly life could shift. Months ago, he’d been hiding his struggles, too proud to ask for help. Now, with humility and openness, his relationships had blossomed anew. His children visited more often, supporting him emotionally as well as practically. Even Marcus, who had once distanced himself from Lester’s vulnerability, now volunteered alongside him at the foundation.

That evening, Patrick called Lester personally, checking on him as he often did.

“How are things going, Les?”

“Better every day,” Lester replied honestly. “It’s amazing what having a purpose can do.”

Patrick chuckled softly. “You’ve always had purpose, Les. You just needed reminding.”

They talked about the upcoming foundation gala, where Lester was set to speak. Though nervous, he felt ready, buoyed by Patrick’s confidence in him.

On the night of the gala, Lester stood at the podium in the elegant ballroom, his heart pounding not from illness, but anticipation. Dolores sat proudly in the front row, smiling encouragingly. He looked around at the hundreds gathered, including former players and celebrities, but he focused on one familiar face—Patrick’s.

“For twenty years,” Lester began steadily, “I drove the Chicago Bulls team bus. I was proud of every mile because it meant being part of something greater than myself. But when illness came, pride nearly cost me everything. It took kindness from an old friend, Patrick Mahomes, to remind me that there’s strength in letting others help you.”

Lester paused, emotion thickening his voice. “Now, through the Behind the Scenes MVP program, we’re helping hundreds who made sports possible but never stepped into the spotlight. These are the people who swept floors, washed uniforms, who kept the arenas running so athletes could shine. They deserve dignity and care in retirement.”

The applause was thunderous. As Lester stepped away from the microphone, Patrick embraced him warmly. “You knocked it out of the park, Les,” Patrick whispered.

Months later, Lester’s health continued improving. The foundation flourished, helping hundreds of retirees nationwide. One quiet evening, Dolores and Lester sat on their porch, watching the sunset. Mrs. Patterson waved from across the street, smiling knowingly.

“You know,” Dolores said softly, “if Mrs. Patterson hadn’t sent that letter…”

“I’d still be stubbornly refusing help,” Lester finished, squeezing her hand gently. “But now, maybe I can help others see it differently.”

He thought back to Patrick’s words from that night: “You carried us for years. Now let me carry you.” It wasn’t charity; it was friendship, compassion, gratitude, and respect. Lester had finally accepted it fully.

As the sky darkened, Lester felt immense gratitude—not just for the life he had reclaimed but for the chance to serve others. Pride had almost ended his journey prematurely, but humility had given him a new beginning. And in accepting help, he’d found strength he never knew existed.

“Funny thing,” Lester said softly, looking into the fading light. “I spent my life driving others to their destinations. Now, thanks to Patrick—and you—I’m finally where I need to be.”

Seven Chileans charged in star-athlete burglary spree targeting Travis Kelce, Patrick Mahomes

Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs on Dec. 17, 2023, in Foxborough, Mass.
Seven men have been charged in connection with a nationwide spree of burglaries that victimized high-profile athletes, including Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes, federal officials said Tuesday.

The charge of conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property for each of the seven is in a criminal complaint filed Jan. 30 but announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida on Tuesday.

The complaint adds four defendants to three previously alleged to be connected to such burglaries nationwide: Jordan Quiroga Sanchez, 22; Bastian Orellano Morales, 23; and Sergio Ortega Cabello, 38.

The four other defendants are Pablo Zuniga Cartes, 24; Ignacio Zuniga Cartes, 20; Alexander Huiaguil Chavez, 24; and Bastian Jimenez Freraut, 27.

It’s not clear if any of the defendants have obtained lawyers. The federal public defender in Tampa, Florida, where the case was filed, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday night.

Four of the defendants — Cabello, Chavez, Morales and Sanchez — pleaded not guilty to initial charges in Ohio of participating in a criminal gang, engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, obstructing official business and possession of criminal tools, according to court records.

In its statement, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida alleged the seven were part of a South American burglary crew that victimized high-profile athletes across the nation. All the defendants are from Chile.

If convicted, each could spend as much as 10 years in federal prison, prosecutors said.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida said the defendants were connected to burglaries that resulted in the theft of $2 million in goods.

Without specifically identifying the victims, the office used language that indicated the early October burglaries at the homes of Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and quarterback Patrick Mahomes were part of the spree, saying that the Kansas City-area residences of two Chiefs players were burglarized Oct. 5 and Oct. 7.

Additionally, according to the statement, the seven are also connected to the Nov. 2, 2024, break-in at the Wisconsin home of a Milwaukee Bucks player while he was at work at a game. Watches, chains, jewelry, a designer suitcase, designer bags, cash and a safe securing some of those items, together worth nearly $1.5 million, were stolen, the office said.

The information corresponds to a burglary at the home of Bucks forward Bobby Portis Jr.

Pablo Zuniga Cartes, Ignacio Zuniga Cartes, Freraut and a fourth person not named posed for a photo with the safe and some of the goods afterward, the office alleged in its statement.

The office alleged another burglary, a Dec. 9 Cincinnati area break-in, victimized a Cincinnati Bengals player, taking an estimated $300,000 in goods, the office said in its statement. The information corresponds to the burglary of the residence of Joe Burrow, who was in Arlington, Texas, helping his team beat the Dallas Cowboys 27-20 at the time.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office alleged defendant Cabello rented the vehicle used in the Ohio burglary.

Also victimized were a Memphis Grizzlies basketball player whose home was breached Dec. 20 while he played a home game and the Oct. 21 break-in at the home of a Tampa Bay Buccaneers player.

According to the filing, suspects gained entry to the home of the Buccaneers player by breaking through a window, stealing jewelry, Rolex watches, a Louis Vuitton suitcase and a firearm worth more than $167,000.

In that case and that of the Grizzlies player, identities of the victims have not been made public.

In all the cases connected to the seven, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said, athletes were “away or playing in professional games at the times of the burglaries.”

Since fall of last year, the NFL, the NBA and the FBI have warned high-profile athletes about burglars who have targeted the homes of star players.

But authorities from San Diego County to New York City have probed and prosecuted similar cases they say are connected to a spree of coast-to-coast burglaries that target homes of the wealthy — athletes, celebrities and just plain rich people — and are believed to be carried out by South American criminal crews.

In announcing the successful prosecution last year of defendants from Chile and Italy who burglarized a home on the coast of Southern California, San Diego District Attorney Summer Stephan said the defendants came to the United States for “burglary tourism.”

Todd Spitzer, the district attorney of Orange County, California, has said a U.S. Visa Waiver program, the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), too easily lets criminals enter the united states on a 90-day pass. The automated system grants citizens of 42 nations permission to enter and stay with relative ease.

“For the last 18 months, I have been sounding the alarm about a dangerous loophole in the ESTA Visa Waiver program that is being exploited by organized crime rings from Chile to enter the United States unlimited times over a two-year period without background checks,” Spitzer said in January.

“These criminals aren’t coming to the United States to visit Disneyland,” he said.

On Tuesday, a law enforcement source familiar with the matter reported that the Los Angeles home of Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban was burglarized on Valentine’s Day, though no connection to the spree has yet been made.