From operating room to Major League mound: Saskatoon boy throws Jays’ first pitch

How does a seven-year-old Saskatoon boy go from an operating room to throwing out the first pitch at a Toronto Blue Jays game?

Rocky Trainor could tell you firsthand, but he, along with his parents Scott and Stacy, would confirm it’s not an easy road.

Rocky had his first open-heart surgery at only five days old, after he was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome – a condition which means he was essentially born with only half of his heart – and was airlifted from Saskatoon to Edmonton.

The surgery was done by Dr. Ivan Rebeyka, whom Scott said was a miracle-worker. Since then, Rocky’s had two more surgeries, one at eight months old and the second when he was five.

Scott said there was always a lot of concern when Rocky went into surgeries, and through all of his appointments.

“It was tough. It’s tough to see your kiddo in there,” Scott said. “I’ve seen him almost flatline. I’ve seen a whole bunch of stuff.”

Despite their concerns, Scott said the family has always maintained a positive attitude, which helped pull them through tough times. And keeping that mindset has proved successful, as Rocky doesn’t have any future surgeries scheduled for his heart – just regular checkups.

Although doctors didn’t expect Rocky to excel in sports, Scott said he’s done well in every sport he’s played so far. That led to the opportunity to throw out the first pitch at a Blue Jays game, made possible by the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Rocky threw out the first pitch on Tuesday night during Toronto’s game against the Baltimore Orioles to the Jays’ Cavan Biggio.

The seven-year-old had one word to describe the experience of throwing to a Major League player in front of thousands of roaring fans: “Loud.”

That probably wasn’t a complaint, however, as the boy pumped his hands in the air to encourage the crowd to make some noise right before throwing the pitch.

Despite standing out by himself in front of thousands of people, Rocky was ready for the big moment.

Scott said his son was quiet just beforehand, and he thought he may have to walk the boy out to the mound, but he said Rocky thrives under pressure. When Blue Jays mascot Ace took him out, Scott said the crowd was completely on his side.

The seven-year-old got the ball over the plate to thunderous cheers.

Rocky also got to meet a few of the Jays’ star players, including Biggio and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., collected a few souvenirs, and was back at the ballpark for another game Wednesday.

Rocky said one of the best parts of the trip was getting to eat popcorn and watch the game in person with his dad.

Scott said the trip felt almost like the finish line, putting the tough years behind them and looking forward to spending more time together as a family, away from medical settings.

“What Make-A-Wish does for the kids is unbelievable,” Scott said. “I think what the Jim Pattison (Children’s Hospital) doctors have done is unbelievable, too.”