[nfb-talk] Blind baseball player "hears" his dream come true on local Little League team

[Michael Bullis]

This article is a sad reflection on how far we have to go in order for
society to understand our capacities.  And, how sad it is that the mother of
this young man would have so little hope for him that his sitting on the
bench is wonderful to her.  
Perhaps our Indiana affiliate can help this mother get in touch with
competent blind adults so she can have more hope for her child.
I paste the article below and the link to the video here.
http://www.wsbt.com/news/local/44415152.html

Story Created: May 5, 2009 at 8:13 PM EDT	

Story Updated: May 5, 2009 at 10:43 PM EDT 

EDWARDSBURG - Tears of joy flowed in Edwardsburg as history was made on the
baseball diamond. A Little League hopeful who thought he'd never be able to
be a part of the team finally "heard" his dream come true. 


It was a party on the diamond, as Edwardsburg Little Leaguers celebrated the
"official" addition of a new teammate. But this baseball player isn't like
anyone you've ever met before.

To say Cameron Beaver is a "baseball fanatic" might be putting it mildly. As
far as 9-year-olds go, you'd be hard pressed to find a bigger fan.

"He's very upbeat and very energetic. And he just makes everybody around the
park excited too," said Edwardsburg Little League President Pat Maloney.

You have a tough time finding a better teammate or a more enthusiastic
player, either.

Yes, you'd also be hard pressed to find any Little Leaguer quite like
Cameron.

You see, Cameron can't see.

Just a few months after he was born, he was diagnosed with "bi-lateral
retinoblastoma"--a cancer of the retina. To keep the disease from spreading,
doctors
had no choice but to remove his eyes.

Cameron's love of baseball, and his dream of someday playing quickly faded
into fantasy.

"This year, he came out for the team with his older brother Aaron, and the
first words out of his mouth were: coach, can I be on the team? And... what
do
you say, you know?" said Tony Gaideski, head coach of the Edwardsburg Little
League's Legends Restaurant Team.

So, imagine Cameron's surprise when coach's answer was, "yes!" 

"I said, absolutely, Cameron! You're on the team, buddy! No doubt about it!"
Gaideski said.

Except there was doubt.

Last year, Cameron "unofficially" joined the team. But, that was never
approved in writing.

Little League safety rules for upper level teams like Aaron's prohibit those
with disabilities like Cameron's from actually being on the field. So coach
Gaideski asked Maloney for help. Maloney then asked Indiana District 14
Little League Administrator Marlin Culp for help.

On Tuesday night, it was official.

As team lineups were announced over the loudspeaker, there was one new name
added at the end: Cameron Beaver.

The grinning 9-year-old emerged from the dugout with help from his coach,
and took his place along the first base line.

Then, things got even better.

"We'd like you to throw out the first pitch, Cameron," said Maloney.

"All right!" replied Cameron, his tone more an exclamation than an answer.

The ball didn't quite make the catcher's glove, but that didn't stop the
crowd on hand from launching into a standing ovation.

"In my 32 years of Little League, I've never heard of anything like this,"
Culp said during an address over the Little League stadium's loudspeaker.
"I'm
glad we could make this happen."

Cameron was too.

Clutching the baseball signed by League officials, the trophy for being the
Edwardsburg Little League's "volunteer of the year," the brand new baseball
cap and the major league all-star game pin he was presented with, his
response was pretty simple.

"Look at all these prizes I got," he said with a big grin. "It all makes me
feel pretty special!" 

It made his mom Susan feel pretty special, too.

"This is awesome for Cameron," said, wiping away tears. "He's not usually a
part of anything. And this is just awesome for him to be a part of this.
Words
can't really describe it. He's just so excited and happy. He loves it."

Cameron's response to that was, well, what Little League is really all
about.

"I just felt good inside me," he said with a laugh.

Then, when asked if was excited about being an "official" part of the team,
he paused for a moment.

"As a matter of fact, I am," he said.

His jersey now reads "team manager," and that's exactly what he is.

"Every inning we come off the field, he'll be the first one out of the
dugout," Gaideski said. "He leads the team cheer, and a lot of the players
will actually
argue about who gets to sit next to Cameron on the bench now."

"At first sight, you wouldn't even think he had a disability," agreed
Legends team assistant coach Josh Masten. "He's just a good kid to have
around."

Now, he's a good kid that will be around the game he loves. You don't need
to "see" that to believe it.

And there was one other bit of exciting news for Cameron Tuesday night. 

Culp says Little League's District 14 is developing an expanded "challenger
program" that could allow Cameron to actually "play ball" on the field by
"hearing"
the ball as it comes to the plate.

"That would be the highlight of his life," laughed Susan. "This will be hard
to top. But, that would really be a dream come true."

-----Original Message-----
From: nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Sherri
Sent: Sunday, May 10, 2009 6:30 PM
To: NFB Talk Mailing List
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Happy Mother's Day

That's really nice. Thanks for the quotes and for the warm wishes. My mom
has been gone for 9 years and I too wish I could just call her on the phone.

Happy mothers' day to all.
Sherri
----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael D. Barber" <m.barber at mchsi.com>
To: <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, May 10, 2009 10:21 AM
Subject: [nfb-talk] Happy Mother's Day


>I wanted to take this opportunity to wish all our Federation ladies a 
>very  happy and blessed Mother's Day.  Mother's certainly have a very 
>special  place in our hearts.  My mother has been gone for 18 years, 
>but I still  miss  her a lot.  I often find myself wishing I could pick 
>up the phone and call  her just to say hello.
>
> Abraham Lincoln, the 16th U.S. President, held mothers in very high 
> esteem.
> He said, "I regard no man as poor who has a godly mother."
>
> Of mothers, Washington Irving  said, "A mother is the truest friend we 
> have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes 
> the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our 
> sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she 
> cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to 
> dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our 
> hearts."
>
> And don't forget that Julia Ward Howe initiated "Mother's Day for Peace"
> with her Proclamation to Congress in 1908.  Her husband was Samuel 
> Gridley Howe, that dude who started Perkins School for the Blind and Howe
Press.
> That's where we get all our braillers today!
>
> I wish you all a very happy mother's day.  If your mom is still 
> living, do something very special for her today!
>
> Cordially,
> Michael D. Barber, President
> National Federation of the Blind of Iowa
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> nfb-talk mailing list
> nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-talk_nfbnet.org


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