5-Year-Old Throws Out First Pitch At O's Game Thanks To Prosthetic Hand
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Born with a rare birth defect, five-year-old Hailey Dawson threw all her challenges out the door as she tossed the ceremonial first pitch at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
Marcus Washington has more on the players that made this pitch possible.
Hailey was born with no fingers on her right hand and a defect affecting one side of her body, but that didn't stop her from throwing the first pitch to one of the star players on her favorite baseball team.
Like any parent, Greg Dawson wants the best for his five-year-old daughter, Hailey.
"She can do everything that any other kid can do," he said. "Just, she was born without fingers."
Hailey's parents tell WJZ she was born with Poland Syndrome, facing underdeveloped pectoral muscles on one side of her body and deformation of the right hand.
Hailey's father says she can do anything any other kid can do -- and that includes playing baseball.
It was made possible at Oriole Park at Camden Yards after students at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas helped design a plastic prosthetic hand.
"The palm fits in the hand and as her wrist moves up and down, the hand opens and closes, which allows her to grip certain things," Greg Dawson said. "Being young like this, it's really hard on her joints when she does stuff, so she's got to through occupational therapy, which they've been gracious to provide for us. It's been a long process -- about a year and a half."
A tough road leading up to this moment.
"I'm really excited," Hailey said.
And now, Hailey was given the honor of throwing the ceremonial first pitch during the O's Monday night game. She pitched to Manny Machado, finishing up with a pound and a hug for a job well done.
It's a moment captured that gives parents hope that their wishes for their child's happiness can also come true.
Students at UNLV created a free downloadable file for anyone wanting to make that 3D hand.
Research shows that 3 out of 11,000 births are affected by Poland Syndrome due to lack of blood supply during the first six to eight weeks of pregnancy.
