Stepping up to the plate: N.S. baseball community rallies around young player who suffered stroke
There has been a remarkable show of support for a young baseball player from the Halifax area who suffered a stroke during a game late last month.
While the 12-year-old recovers in hospital, teammates and many others are stepping up to the plate to wish him a speedy recovery.
Satchel Tate suffered a medical emergency on July 30 while playing for the Hammonds Plains As in an under-13 AA tournament in Bridgewater, N.S.
"He was in centre field, and he was just laying down," friend and teammate Nathan Moulton told CTV News Tuesday,
"I thought he was goofing around because that's his personality, but it ends up he wasn't."
Tate remains in hospital at the IWK Health Centre and is said to be doing quite well -- alert and chatting with visitors.
(Source: Tate Family)
A wall in his room is decorated with his favourite sports posters: The Blue Jays, the Toronto Raptors, and Sidney Crosby.
The Blue Jays are among those sending packages.
"Baseball Canada is putting together a package for him, and then our own provincial body, Baseball Nova Scotia has sent something in to Satchel," said Holly LaPierre, president of Hammonds Plains Minor Baseball.
Scores of strangers have also reached out.
(Source: Hammonds Plains Minor Baseball)
"Last night, at our game in Dartmouth, the Dartmouth team, as well as the Tri-County team, showed up to the field and gave our players care packages — a tribute to Satchel," said the As' head coach Garnet Brooks.
Strokes in young people aren't common, according to doctors, but they're not unheard of.
"It does occur in children. It's very rare, and the causes are quite different than they are in adults," said Dr. Doug Sinclair, the IWK's vice-president of medicine, quality and safety, and an ER doctor himself.
"So, for instance, those children born with what we call congenital hearts — or abnormal hearts — some of those children are more prone to stroke. There are some blood diseases, like sickle cell would be the most common, which is a rare disease in Nova Scotia, but much more common in Ontario and other parts of the world. The blood is abnormal, and they can have strokes," said Dr. Sinclair.
"And in babies, it's even more challenging, because the signs and symptoms are so very different, and again rare events, but we do see them, even in babies."
The As themselves have recorded video messages for Satchel, and have paid their own tribute, adding his number seven to their uniforms — right over their hearts.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.