CWS 2022: Omaha boy with brain tumor celebrated as “hero for the day”
June 19, 2022
OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - Father’s Day kicked off the third day of the College World Series at Charles Schwab field, and one special fan certainly had a fun day at the ballpark.
Ten-year-old Jimmy Moran had no idea what surprises were in store for him on Sunday.
He’s this year’s “Hero” at the Omaha Baseball Village.
“We’ve done it for the past five years and we work with some amazing kids and their families. These kids are facing such adversity, usually it is medical adversity. The families are suffering too; they’re watching things go from normal to completely upside down,” said Jenny Peters with Omaha Baseball Village/The Matt. “We heard about his story and just felt that for Omaha Baseball Village 2022 he was definitely the one that needed to come. We want to spoil him, we want to take him around the Village and show him exactly what it means to give courage to others just by being you.”
‘Hero Day’ is all about celebrating kids like Jimmy.
With friends and family by his side, he was treated to many different activities.
Jimmy is a huge baseball fan and a former player. Going to the CWS has always been his dream. He had the chance to pick out a brand new glove and even step up to the plate to hit a few home runs.
“We have a few vendors in place along the way so as he’s going to the game, he’ll be able to stop at any tent and if he likes something, they’ll just take it right off the shelf for him,” said Peters.
In November of last year Jimmy was diagnosed with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma, or DIPG: an inoperable brain tumor in his brain stem. Jimmy’s mother Pam says only about 200 to 300 kids are diagnosed in the United States every year.
“He was completely normal and happy and running as a normal boy until November when his eye started turning in and he started getting double vision. Since then he’s lost his ability to walk, the use of his right side, his ability to talk well, swallowing; it’s like ALS for kids,” said Pam.
It hasn’t been an easy journey for their family. Their lives have completely changed in just a few months.
“It’s been a nightmare. But now we’re aware and we’re trying to spread awareness about how little attention pediatric cancer gets. It’s been so much that we’ve been dealing with and we’re supposed to make happy memories, and it’s really hard to,” said Pam.
But it’s days like these where Jimmy just gets to be a kid.
“All he wants to do is play baseball again; so they gave that to him today,” said Pam.
