UC Baseball & Team Impact Welcome 6 Year Old Gavin Lamica as the Newest Pioneer
UTICA, NY -- Six year old Gavin Lamica of Ilion, NY will become an official member of the Utica College baseball team on Wednesday afternoon, April 26 prior to the Pioneers' doubleheader against SUNY Polytechnic (2 p.m.) at the Utica College Baseball Field. Lamica and the Pioneers will join together as a part of the Team IMPACT program, which is a non-profit group charged with improving the quality of life for children facing life threatening illnesses.
Gavin was diagnosed in 2013 with an autoimmune disorder called Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). Gavin was a very healthy kid and went to bed with a fever one night and woke up unable to breathe. He went to the hospital, flat lined and was in a coma for a month. His lungs hemorrhaged, and he had multiple blood transfusions and biopsies. When he came out of his coma he had to relearn to walk, talk and eat. Gavin is currently in remission now and he gets a nine-hour transfusion every three months, and does breathing treatments to keep his lungs healthy. Through everything, he has remained a strong fighter, and is a huge inspiration to all who know him.
On Wednesday the Pioneers will hold a draft day ceremony at 1:40 p.m. on the baseball field where Gavin will sign his letter of intent to become a member of the Utica College baseball program. Gavin will also throw out the ceremonial first pitch as part of his first official duties as a Pioneer.
Core to the model of Team IMPACT is harnessing the power of teamwork by matching courageous kids with college athletic teams. Team IMPACT children are drafted onto local college athletic teams and, to the greatest extent possible, become an official member of the team for the duration of their treatment and beyond.
Gavin will join the Pioneers for practices, before and after games, and at other points throughout the season.
The UC baseball team advocates include:
Tim Quinlan (Monroe, CT/Masuck),
Adam Nell ( Vernon, NY/VVS),
JT Ross (New York Mills, NY/New York Mills), Zach Schellenger,
Matthew Leviton (South River, NJ/South River) and
Haydn Demers-St. Hilaire (North Lawrence, NY/St. Lawrence Central).
For more information about Team IMPACT please visit:
http://www.goteamimpact.org/