Here Comes the Fighter: Gunner Forrester first pitch a testament to faith, perseverance
Gunner Forrester threw out the first pitch at Blue Ridge’s game against Rabun Gap on Wednesday. Forrester was accompanied at the mound by his parents, Tad and Amy; his brother Knox; and Blue Ridge head baseball coach Travis Henson.
Wednesday night was a special one at the ballpark for Blue Ridge. The Tigers celebrated Cancer Awareness Night during their game against Rabun Gap.
A special guest had the honor of throwing out the first pitch.
Gunner Forrester—a 3-year-old local boy who’s battling Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS)—threw the ball toward home plate to begin the evening. Gunner was accompanied to the mound by his parents, Tad and Amy.
Gunner wore a smile from the moment he walked onto the field until it was time for him to go home after the game. His vocal ability is minimal, but his grin spoke volumes.
Despite his condition, his mother says, he’s been a bundle of joy and a ray of light in everyone’s lives around him.
“He’s warm-hearted. His smile is contagious,” said Amy. “He’s all over the place, whether it’s climbing on counters or jumping on walls.”
Gunner’s condition (HLHS) is a birth defect that affects normal blood flow through the heart. The left side of Gunner’s heart is severely underdeveloped, and he requires fairly frequent procedures to monitor and treat his condition.
It’s estimated that just one in every 3,841 babies born in the United States suffer from HLHS.
“We found out about Gunner’s condition during my 20-week anatomy scan in my pregnancy,” said Amy. “We knew something was off, but we weren’t really sure what. We went back four weeks later, and that’s when they told us HLHS could be what it was.”
Gunner was born in MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital in Charleston, as the location was the only one in the area with the capacity to treat his condition after birth.
Gunner successfully underwent two open heart procedures in his first three years of life. He begins the process for his third on April 8th.
His fighting spirit caught the attention of Blue Ridge High School, who brought Gunner on campus in January to tour the football facility. He took pictures with a Blue Ridge Tiger jersey and helmet to commemorate his trip.
“[Athletic director] Shane Clark heard about our story, and he told my mother one day while she was taking care of Gunner that he should stop by the school,” said Amy. “So he went there and got to meet [Blue Ridge principal] Ashley Wardlaw and try on some football memorabilia. He loved it.”
After Blue Ridge baseball assistant head coach Austin Abercrombie heard about Gunner’s story, he invited him to throw out the first pitch at Wednesday’s game vs. Rabun Gap.
Blue Ridge head coach Travis Henson—a cancer survivor himself—stood next to Gunner and cheered him on during the pitch. With Gunner and family in attendance, the Tigers went on to upset Rabun Gap 6-3 on a walk-off three-run home run.
Henson called the game and ending “symbolic” in celebration of Gunner’s perseverance and the perseverance of cancer survivors.
“It’s very fitting. You couldn’t script it any better,” said Henson. “I think it’s amazing that everything went the way that it did tonight.
Gunner Forrester smiles after throwing out the game’s first pitch. Blue Ridge would go on to win that contest over Rabun Gap on a walk-off home run.
“And I look at a kid like Gunner who’s smiling on the mound and throwing out that first pitch, and it makes you ask yourself ‘Who in the world are we to complain about whatever we’re going through?’ I believe God is at work in that kid’s life.”
Blue Ridge rallied twice to win the game against Rabun Gap, never giving up and persevering until the end to emerge victorious. Henson said that no matter what the result had been—win or loss—he would’ve been proud of the fight his team showed either way.
As for Gunner? His game’s not quite over yet. It’s still the top of the third inning. The score’s tied and he’s fighting hard to stay in it.
And just like his beloved Blue Ridge Tigers, no matter the result of Gunner’s game, it’s the fight the 3-year-old shows that’s shining through.
“He’s a fighter. He really is. And he’s going to have a story to tell,” said Amy. “He’s going to have a story. It’s a testimony of faith. It’s truly by God’s grace that he’s here. We’re cherishing every moment. Every single minute with him is a blessing.”