One resilient 11-year-old

Brady Mackall likes things other 11-year-olds do.

He likes Xbox.

He likes animals – particularly his two dogs and multiple goats and surprisingly friendly chickens. Helping his parents with the care of the latter two groups helped pay for the Xbox.

But Brady also has had to deal with something most 11-year-olds don’t have to: six heart surgeries since he was two weeks old. He was born with Tetralogy of Fallot – in layman’s terms, a congenital defect that results in a hole between the lower chambers of the heart and creates an obstruction from the heart to the lungs. His most recent surgery in 2014 placed a pig’s valve into his heart and has been successful enough that he likely won’t need another until at least age 18.

But despite his condition, Brady also is able to enjoy something else many other 11-year-olds do. He plays baseball. In fact, he pitches. His favorite pitch is his fastball, mainly because, in his own words, “it’s the only pitch I can throw.”

Brady won’t be playing baseball this week, but he’ll be front and center on one of amateur baseball’s biggest stages. He’s been selected as the first-ever honorary bat boy for The American Legion World Series in Shelby, N.C.

“I think it’s a real privilege that I get to do this because I’m the first honorary bat boy,” said Brady, who lives in Lawndale, N.C., with his parents Mark and Shelly, and his younger brother Camden. “I usually just watch (games) from the stands.”

Shelly said that Brady being chosen to be a ball boy “is very touching when we know his story touches others, especially in such a way that it moves them to do something to include our family and Brady into such a huge event that is close to home.”

Brady’s parents were informed of his condition around 20 minutes after he was born. “It was just shocking, almost devastating,” Shelly said. “At that point they didn’t know if it was his heart or his lungs, and so they had to call in doctors and specialists in Charlotte to narrow it down.

“That that’s when they made the call to send him to Charlotte because they had a (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) there, where our local hospital did not. So we prepared to send him way after we just had him, so that was pretty tough.”

His most recent surgery kept Brady in the hospital for more than a week and caused him to miss more than two weeks of school. Despite that, he doesn’t feel sorry for himself or let his condition get him down.

“I just really don’t think of it,” Brady said. “I don’t care about it, really.”

His parents have made it a point to not let Brady’s condition define him. “They’ve always told us after surgery he has no limitations except his natural limitations,” Shelly said. “So we’ve never had to be very cautious about anything after his surgeries. He can go and do whatever.”

Baseball has allowed Mark, who played Legion Baseball in Pennsylvania as a teen, to bond with both Brady and Camden. “It’s meant a lot,” Mark said. “It gives us a lot of time together. They like to play together. It gives us some time together that’s not just sitting around and watching TV.”

During the National Commander’s Reception on Aug. 9, ALWS Executive Committee Chairman Eddie Holbrook presented Mackall with a jersey, helmet, backpack and ball.

“Those of us who might have had the slightest of heart problems with a heart attack or related heart disease can certainly relate to this young man,” Holbrook said. “We need to honor people of this nature … and give (Brady) a small token so he can remember what we’re all about here.”

Brady knew about American Legion Baseball before being chosen to participate in this year’s Series. “I like Legion ball, and we go and watch (Shelby Post) 82 play,” he said. “We know people on that team. And I want to play on like (Cherryville) Post 100 or a Legion team when I can.”

Brady accomplishing that goal wouldn’t surprise his parents. “We’ve been surprised by the maturity that he has shown and the resilience and positive attitude,” Shelly said. “He had a surgery just a year before (his 2014 surgery) that failed. His valve did not work properly. So it was really hard to tell him one year later that it’s not working and that we have to do it all again.

“But we came through. He knew he had specific jobs that would get him out of the hospital quicker, and he did all of the things the doctor said to, followed the protocol perfectly and got us home.”