9-year-old Zion Harvey throws marvelous 1st pitch a year after bilateral hand transplants

Prior to every MLB game, someone throws out the ceremonial first pitch. Sometimes the pitches are amusing, but mostly they just serve as a brief distraction before the real game begins. Then there are times like on Tuesday when 9-year-old Zion Harvey threw out a first pitch that made the rest of the game inconsequential.

Harvey is no regular 9-year-old. A year ago, he became the first child to undergo bilateral hand transplant surgery. When he was 2 years old, he developed an infection that required his hands and feet to be amputated. He would also later need a kidney transplant. Six years later, he became a trailblazer as the first child to undergo the procedure. It was a very complicated process and Zion was in surgery for more than 10 hours. But, it was a success.

Now roughly a year later, Zion is slinging first pitches before MLB games.

It took a groundbreaking surgery and extensive physical therapy to get to that point. This is hardly the end, however. It’s only a chapter along an incredible journey.