BOSTON (WHDH) – Eight-year-old Hailey Dawson gets excited throwing out the first pitch at baseball games. With the help of a robotic hand, Hailey stepped onto the mound Thursday night at Fenway Park. Thursday’s game was the 21st Major League Baseball park Hailey has been to so far.
Hailey was born with Poland Syndrome, a birth defect that left her without three fingers on her right hand, but it hasn’t stopped her.
Hailey has a 3D-printed hand that allows her to grab, grasp and even throw a baseball. The 3D-printed hand has been three years in the making. Students and faculty from the University of Nevada’s Hughes College of Engineering collaborated to make the creation.
Now, with her 3D-printed hand, Hailey and her family are using their love for baseball to create awareness about Poland Syndrome. She and her mother, Yong Dawson, are traveling to all 30 MLB baseball parks. Hailey has a robotic hand for each MLB team when she throws out the first pitch.
“Every time she puts it on, she gets people who surround her and want to know about what she has on. It has slowly built her confidence, and it’s a part of who she is now,” Yong said.
Aside from the Red Sox logo, Hailey’s hand has a few big names on it thanks to Brock Holt and Steve Pearce signing their autographs. It’s a special way for her to remember America’s Most Beloved Ballpark.
Hailey and her family are heading to Arizona next to meet the Diamondbacks.
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