Saskatchewan boy with three open heart surgeries throws out first pitch at Blue Jays game

Like any other Saskatchewan kid, Rocky Trainor loves to get out and play sports, but not every kid undergoes open-heart surgery. Or throw the first pitch in a Toronto Blue Jays game.

Rocky was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, which means he only has half a heart. It required three surgeries to reconstruct his heart before the age of four. Now the seven-year-old can play all kinds of sports.

His love of sports brought him to the big leagues. After applying to the Make a Wish Foundation, Rocky was taken to Toronto, where he could pitch his first pitch and watch the game.

“It was pretty quiet until he got out of there and raised his hand. The crowd just erupted…. It’s really cool to witness the power a seven-year-old can have over a crowd,” said Rocky’s father, Scott Trainor.

His parents say that the way he is able to keep playing sports amazes them every day.

“It’s never been a horrible experience because it’s family time,” said Stacey, Rocky’s mother. “That’s where he crosses. He fights through it. (After) all the surgeries, we didn’t have a bad experience.

While Rocky’s relationship with his parents was special, he also had a younger brother to whom he introduced many sports.

Five-year-old Russell said while he enjoys playing all sports with his brother, there is one sport he enjoys more than others.

“My brother loves to play football with me and that is great,” Russell said.

Rocky’s favorite sport is baseball, but time with his brother may have changed that, as he now switches between football and baseball as his favorite.

All in all, the family said, the hospital staff were always there to help Rocky get his moment to shine at the center.

“It’s thanks to the amazing surgeons in Edmonton that did his heart surgery and the cardiologists here in Saskatoon,” Scott said. “We always had a positive attitude and knew it was all going to work out, and it happened.”

1:46
University of Saskatchewan receives federal funding for HIV cure project