Mizzou Baseball Gives Nine-Year-Old Hunter Brown a Night to Remember
5/8/2018 10:27:00 AM | Baseball
Diagnosed with left hemiplegic cerebral palsy, Brown threw out the first pitch thanks to work with TigerOT
Since second-year head coach Steve Bieser took over Mizzou's Baseball program, he has continued to teach the players life lessons that extend well outside the baseball diamond. Preaching a commitment to excellence in every walk of life, the team has embodied the ideals of its head coach, and that was once again on display last weekend. Mizzou Baseball teamed with Mizzou's School of Health Professions to welcome nine-year old Hunter Brown for an experience of a lifetime.
When Hunter takes the baseball field this spring, he will use a one-handed method of throwing and catching that he's been practicing for months. In January, Hunter told student occupational therapists Lyndi Plattner and Makayla Thompson, and their faculty mentor, Tiffany Bolton, that he wanted to play baseball, and they've worked hard together to make sure he's game ready.
After a stroke at birth, Hunter was diagnosed with left hemiplegic cerebral palsy, meaning he struggles with pain, weakness and muscle control on the left side of his body. He's been in physical and occupational therapy since he was a baby, but came to Tiger Occupational Therapy (TigerOT) two years ago. Hunter's mom, Bobbie Clark, said that since coming to TigerOT, Hunter has been more vocal about his goals and more confident in his progress. She attributes this to his work with student clinicians. TigerOT is the experiential learning clinic in the School of Health Professions Department of Occupational Therapy.
"My whole thing for him is to have confidence," Clark said. "He's awesome. He has a lot of limitations, but he doesn't take it like that."
Faculty and student clinicians work with clients to meet goals they set together – in whatever context it takes to overcome a particular challenge. For some clients, it can be grocery shopping, for others it is visiting a restaurant. For Hunter, it is playing baseball. He had high praise for his occupational therapists at Mizzou.
"It helped me a lot," Hunter said. "It seems like you are just playing games and stuff, but you are actually working your hands and arms and stuff. I think it's really important for other kids with disabilities because they can do normal stuff like other kids. I think it's really special."
To celebrate Hunter's progress this semester, TigerOT is partnered with Mizzou Baseball to provide some unique baseball experiences for a pretty unique kid. On Friday, May 4, Hunter and his family were guests at the ballpark, and Hunter to spent some pre-game time on the field with the Mizzou players – just being one of the guys. He even threw out the ceremonial first pitch, a perfect breaking ball on the outside part of the plate to Mizzou reliever Nile Ball.
Watch a video of Hunter's experience with Mizzou Baseball below.
First pitch from a future @MizzouBaseball player?! (He already has the jersey.)Thanks to #TigerOT for making Hunter's dream to play baseball come true ?? ? pic.twitter.com/DZQGWWhX05
— Mizzou (@Mizzou) May 4, 2018
First pitch from a future @MizzouBaseball player?! (He already has the jersey.)Thanks to #TigerOT for making Hunter's dream to play baseball come true ?? ? pic.twitter.com/DZQGWWhX05
— Mizzou (@Mizzou) May 4, 2018
Awesome to have Hunter Brown throw out our first pitch!
— #MizzouBaseball (@MizzouBaseball) May 5, 2018
He's learning to play baseball without full use of the left side of his body thanks to #TigerOT students from @MizzouSHP
Thanks to @Mizzou and @muhealth for making his dream a reality! #MIZ #C2E ???? pic.twitter.com/ZvbVxvcaY0
