Josiah Vierra is not your average Little Leaguer. He is 7 years old and only 27 inches tall, weighing a mere 15 pounds. Josiah has a genetic disease known as Progeria, meaning “prematurely old.” He just wants to live a normal life and play organized baseball. On May 5th 2010, Josiah got the opportunity he dreamed of. He was allowed to play one game with the Tri Valley White Sox. Josiah got one chance at bat and managed to hit the ball. He didn’t hit it very far, but he sure hit it. His mother thought at that time that it would be his first and only game, but at least his dream had been achieved. After the game, Josiah was crying and told his coach, “I don’t want it to be over.” Later in the season, after a series of mini-strokes, Josiah was able to rejoin the team and play for the last month of the season. Word had spread about Josiah and at the team’s final game of the season, 1,000 people came out to watch.
It is a great story not just about baseball, but about life. Josiah refuses to let his physical boundaries stop him. He wants to play baseball and live a normal life regardless of what he can and cannot do. When he’s playing baseball he doesn’t even have to think about his disease and the fact that his life could be over in only a few weeks. Watching him run the bases is a sight to see and can bring joy to anyone. The triumphs for Josiah may be nothing special to the average person but when you take his condition and disabilities into account, he can be considered a hero and inspiration to all.
E:60 Josiah's Time
November 10th, 2010
http://search.espn.go.com/josiah-e60/videos/6
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