Nevada native Hailey Dawson returned to a Major League pitching mound for the ninth time Wednesday night to throw the ceremonial first pitch at Denver’s Coors Field, as the Colorado Rockies faced the San Francisco Giants.
Dawson threw an underhand pitch to Rockies pitcher Chad Bettis, who later posed for a photo with the young girl.
“Thank you @cbettis35 for catching Hailey’s pitch and for being part of her #journeyto30,” Dawson’s mom, Yong, posted on her daughter’s official Instagram account, @haileys_hand. “You are an inspiration.”
The eight-year-old, who threw the first pitch during Game 4 of the 2017 World Series in Houston, isn’t afraid to step into the limelight. So far, she’s delivered pitches at Baltimore, Washington, San Diego, San Francisco, Chicago Cubs, Texas, and Cleveland.
“I’m throwing the first pitch out at every Major League ballpark,” Dawson told FOX31.
Next up: Seattle.
The young girl was born with Poland syndrome — a rare birth defect that causes an “underdeveloped or absent chest muscle on one side of the body, absence of the breastbone portion of the chest muscle and webbing of the fingers of the hand on the same side,” the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services states on its website.
“She was born with a little pinkie, a little thumb and no middle fingers,” Dawson’s mom, Yong, explained to the news station.
In 2014, Dawson was fitted for a robotic hand created by the University of Nevada Las Vegas. The 3-D printed prosthetic allows Dawson to use her hand freely as she moves her wrist.
[instagram url=https://www.instagram.com/p/BjcdFGCh6eA/?utm_source=ig_embed]
“It helps me grab stuff because I can’t grab anything with my hand,” Dawson said.
Along her MLB journey, Dawson said she hopes to raise awareness for her rare condition — and inspire others to follow their dreams.
“If I can do it, you can do it too,” Dawson said.
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Several Rockies players signed Dawson’s baseball-themed prosthetic hand Wednesday, including Ian Desmond, Arenado and Gonzalez.
The Giants beat the Rockies 7-4.
She is scheduled to wrap up her MLB stadium tour across the U.S. in Los Angeles on September 16.
This Fox News piece is used by permission; the Associated Press contributed.
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