Girl with 3D-printed hand throws first pitch at Rogers Centre

By Maleeha Sheikh

An eight-year-old girl from Nevada threw the first pitch at Tuesday’s Toronto Blue Jays pre-game against the Boston Red Sox at the Rogers Centre.

At first glance, Hailey Dawson is like most eight-year-old girls but she’s got a secret weapon. Her 3D-printed prosthetic hand, which was created for her by the University of Nevada.

Hailey was born with Poland Syndrome, which left her without a right pectoral muscle and affected the growth of her right hand.

Hailey’s goal is to throw the first pitch at all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums in North America. She started this endeavour back in March of 2018.

Her mother Yong Dawson said while her daughter does this for fun, there’s also a greater purpose.

“It became a platform for us to talk about Poland Syndrome. That’s what she was born with and also a platform to talk about the robotic hand because it’s not that hard to get one, so if you’re in need of one there are organizations that will make you one,” Yong said.

Yong also said the 3D-printed hand has given her daughter more confidence. She gets a special one made for every stadium she throws a first pitch.

After the Jays game, she has five more stadiums to go. The next stop is Tampa.

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