MILWAUKEE, Wis. (WFRV) – Aurora Health Care and the Milwaukee Brewers hosted a special send-off Wednesday for three pediatric patients embarking on a behind-the-scenes spring training trip to Phoenix.
Eight-year-old Blake Baker of Grafton, nine-year-old Tyler Morano of Fredonia, and nine-year-old Natasha Taylor of Green Bay will travel to Arizona, where they’ll have the chance to meet Brewers players, participate in warmups, tour the clubhouse, and throw out the first pitch at the Brewers-Reds spring training game on Feb. 22.
Each child has faced significant health challenges:
- Blake Baker: After experiencing a severe headache at school, doctors discovered a benign brain tumor caused by a rare genetic disease. Blake underwent an 11-hour surgery to remove the tumor. His family says he will require lifelong monitoring, as the disease can lead to tumors developing in his brain, kidneys, heart, lungs, and may also cause skin and eye issues.
- Tyler Morano: Tyler has progressive hearing loss, a condition that worsens over time. He wears hearing aids and is learning American Sign Language with his family. Although Tyler passed his hearing test at birth, his teacher noticed a change in his participation during the COVID-19 pandemic when everyone wore masks. Further testing revealed he struggles to hear low tones. Once fitted with hearing aids, Tyler embraced them, realizing everything he had been missing.
- Natasha Taylor: Natasha has Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva, a rare genetic disorder that causes muscle and connective tissue to gradually turn into bone. She experiences severe pain during growth periods, struggles with her legs buckling, and has difficulty raising her left arm. Despite her challenges, her family says Natasha remains determined to achieve her goals.
Comedian Charlie Berens to film a live special taping at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center
The send-off event featured Bernie Brewer and the Johnsonville Famous Racing Sausages waving farewell as the children and their families boarded a bus to Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport.
