THOMAS Dignum is among the Lower Mainland residents going to bat for the B.C. Children's Hospital Foundation next weekend at a fundraising slo-pitch tournament.
The 12-year-old West Vancouver resident and Grade 6 student at Ridgeview elementary is not only going to have an opportunity to hit the field, the three-day event is giving him and his family an opportunity to share their story as Thomas is the event's Champion.
"He really is the ideal miracle story," says Thomas' mother Tracy. At age six, Thomas, out of nowhere, collapsed at school. Doctors discovered he had suffered a massive stroke in his brain stem. He subsequently underwent a life-saving procedure at B.C. Children's Hospital that had never been done before on a child at the hospital and was administered a clot-busting drug. His road to recovery was slow, seeing him spend several months in rehabilitation at Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children, however six years later, he's made a complete recovery in terms of his cognitive and physical abilities.
"So many stars had to align for him to be saved but also for him to be able to walk and talk and everything that he does now," says Tracy. While Thomas is unable to play contact sports as he did prior to his brain injury to prevent further incident, he leads an incredibly active life, pursuing swimming, and is excited to tackle tomorrow's North Shore Triathlon for the first time as a youth competitor.
Immensely grateful for Thomas' health, the Dignums are taking a growing role with the foundation in order to give thanks. This is their first time participating in the Slo-Pitch event, a perfect fit as Thomas played softball in years past.
It's been interesting to see her son's reaction to being in the spotlight. "For him to be in some sense singled out in any capacity, he finds that surprising, but that's what I love, which is he doesn't really realize how lucky he is to even be alive, because he was six," she says. "He knows that his stroke was a major event, he knows that the children's hospital definitely saved his life. He is thankful on that level." However, Thomas is "blissfully unaware" of why he would be important enough to be involved in this sort of thing because he considers himself to be a "normal" kid, says Tracy.
The 23rd annual Slo-Pitch for B.C. Children's Hospital is set for May 24-26 at South Surrey's Softball City. While 2013 team registration has closed, the public is invited to attend as fans as a host of family-friendly festivities will be offered.
Info: bcchf.ca/slopitch.
