7-Year-Old Leukemia Patient Accompanies UK’s Nerlens Noel to the Kentucky Derby [VIDEO]

It's fair to say that UK forward Nerlens Noel could have taken anyone to the Kentucky Derby on Saturday. As it turns out, his guest for the Run for the Roses was the most special guest of all at Churchill Downs that day.

7-year-old Kelly Melton has leukemia has undergone intense chemotherapy over the past 5 months or so.

You know, despite all the work we do with St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital and all we've learned about childhood cancer, it stills makes me shudder to think of a child enduring something like chemotherapy. It's hard enough on adults.

Anyway, Nerlens visited Kelly in the hospital last week and asked him if he would join him at the Kentucky Derby. And, as we learn in this video, Kelly has served as inspiration to Nerlens as he recovers from that horrible knee injury he suffered in February during the Florida game.

Take a look: