Recently, at her son’s Little League game, Allison Profeta was lucky enough to witness an extraordinary moment. She documented the event in Staunton, Virginia with photos and wrote about it on her blog. Here is an edited excerpt:
My son plays on a team with a 10-year-old boy named Baxter. Baxter’s brother, Tripp, was born with a form of dwarfism known as SED. He is still recovering from a series of major surgeries — one to stabilize his neck, and two for reconstructing each hip. The 11-year-old was in a full body cast for months but now used an electric scooter to move.
The coach talked to the tiny boy, letting him know what was required. He was to walk from the sideline to the pitcher’s mound, then throw out the first pitch, and walk all the way back.
Tripp’s mom was hesitant. She was unsure that he would have the strength after that long walk to take one hand off of his walker long enough to throw the pitch. Tripp piped up with a confident “I’ll do it!” so his mom stepped back.
This short walk that most of us do without thinking twice, was visibly arduous for Tripp. His walker got stuck in the dirt more than once. He never asked for help. He never faltered.
Photo by Allison Profeta
On the pitcher’s mound, the coach patiently and confidently treated Tripp as equal to all the other ballplayers who’d ever needed encouragement before throwing. His brother handed him the ball, and then ran to home plate as the team’s catcher. The boys on the team all stood in a line with their hats in their hands and the crowd held their breath. They all watched as Tripp became the hero of Staunton in one pitch.
The frail but determined boy returned across the infield with his walker and backed himself into his scooter.
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