Jack Carder, a 5-year-old from Ohio, was born with a deformed right hand, but that hasn’t stopped him from playing baseball. This week, his love for the sport culminated in his throwing the opening pitch at a game between the Columbus Clippers and the Indianapolis Indians.
Kindergartener with Ironman prosthetic hand throws first pitch at minor league game
The Columbus Clippers may have found their new southpaw.
Jack started playing T-ball after undergoing surgery to help restructure his hand. Carder batted one-handed (just like his baseball hero, Jim Abbott), and threw the ball left-handed.
Recently, the Carders discovered e-NABLE, a nonprofit that helps children and adults with partially formed hands finance 3D printed devices tailored to their specific condition. After six weeks, Jack was presented with his very own hand - designed to look like Iron Man.
It will take time for Carder to learn to grip a baseball bat with his new fingers, but in the meantime, the Carders say he’s thrilled. According to his mother, “Almost every day, he kept asking when his Iron Man hand would be here. He said he would throw the ball really, really fast when the Iron Man hand came. He’s absolutely ecstatic.”
(via Dispatch)
