A toddler who was hit on the head by a foul ball during a baseball game last year has been left with permanent brain damage.
The two-year-old girl, who has not been identified, was struck on the head by a foul ball when the Houston Astros hosted the Chicago Cubs in May.
Now, the child’s family lawyer has revealed the girl has suffered permanent brain damage after sustaining a skull fracture, which could result in a lifetime of seizures.
Richard Mithoff, representing the family of the child, told the Houston Chronicle:
She has an injury to a part of the brain, and it is permanent.
She remains subject to seizures and is on medication and will be, perhaps, for the rest of her life. That may or may not be resolved.
He went on to say doctors have likened the little girl’s injury to her central nervous system to that of having a stroke. The areas of the brain affected include those in which injuries can potentially lead to seizures, lack of spatial awareness and loss of sensation. It can also mean frequent headaches, night terrors, periods of unresponsiveness and staring spells.
Mithoff continued to say she is, fortunately, able to continue with the normal routine of a little girl, explaining:
She is able to continue with much of her routine as a girl her age would do, but her parents have to be particularly vigilant, as they are. She has wonderful parents and is receiving wonderful care. They obviously are concerned, but she is blessed with a family that is doing relatively well, considering everything.
The incident took place on May 29 during a match between the Chicago Cubs and the Houston Astros.
Albert Almora Jr. fell to his knees and began sobbing when his line-drive collided with the toddler, who was sat in the crowd behind third base during the fourth inning.
The Minute Maid Stadium fell to silence as the father of the child was seen rushing his crying daughter up the stairs and out of the stands.
It took a while for Almora Jr. to compose himself after the shock of the incident, meanwhile Jason Hayward and Cubs manager Joe Madden followed the 25-year-old father to console him during the unexpected break.
Eventually Almora Jr. returned to bat but struck out before walking off the field still sobbing over what had happened earlier.
Almora Jr. was still visibly shaken by the series of events, in tears, as he gave a post-game interview.
He said:
[It’s] just the way life is. As soon as I hit it, the first person I locked eyes on was her, so… With God willing I’m going to be able to have a relationship with this little girl for the rest of my life, but just prayers right now, that’s all I really can control.
I’m speechless, at a loss of words. Being a father of two boys, I want to put a net around the whole stadium. I’m sorry.
No legal action has been started between the girl’s family and Mithoff didn’t comment on any conversations with Astros officials.
Major League Baseball has since announced that for the forthcoming 2020 season, all 30 teams will extend the netting that protects infield grandstands.
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Emma Rosemurgey is an NCTJ trained Journalist who started her career by producing The Royal Rosemurgey newspaper in 2004, which kept her family up to date with the goings on of her sleepy north east village. She graduated from the University of Central Lancashire in Preston and started her career in regional newspapers before joining Tyla (formerly Pretty 52) in 2017, and progressing onto UNILAD in 2019.