Ceremonial first pitch means everything to Mooney family

When Jaelen Childs took the field before Cardinal Mooney baseball team’s game against Bishop Verot on April 4, you could hear nothing but silence.

Until, that is,  the PA announcer said his name and welcomed him to throw out the first pitch. Then, nothing but cheers.

Childs, a senior, had never played an inning for Cardinal Mooney. He moved to Sarasota from Chicago over the summer. An outfielder and pitcher, he was looking forward to continuing his baseball career at Mooney. He was on track to do so until his Lexus was T-boned by a car running a red light Jan. 31. The accident left him with a broken pelvis and left femur, plus internal bleeding. Luckily, Childs was taken to Sarasota Memorial Hospital quickly, and doctors were able to stop the bleeding. Multiple surgeries later, Childs was on the long road to recovery.

Childs was released from Sarasota Memorial Hospital on April 1, three days before his first pitch. Troy Childs, Jaelen's father, said Jaelen is doing outpatient treatment now. In about three weeks, he will be able to bear weight on his legs and pelvis. Then he will begin the process of learning to walk again. Jaelen’s mother, Lisa Childs, said if all goes well, Jaelen will be able to run in a few months.

If that isn’t a miracle, then miracles don’t exist.

So when Childs took the field, his wheelchair pushed by senior teammate Mars Moxley, it meant more than most first pitches. It meant a step in his recovery. It meant being with his teammates. It meant, for Troy and Lisa, seeing Jaelen smile, something that has been tough for him to do through his recovery when all he wants is to play ball. But the school and community have made the process easier on everyone, thanks to their support and prayers. Jaelen said sophomore teammate Aidan Troy even brought him a baseball bat, something that motivated him to recover quickly.

“Let me tell you: For us to be here for seven months, the students, the staff, the parents have been fantastic,” Troy Childs said. “It is definitely something that has kept Jaelen on a high note, the moral support.”

Jaelen said being back in the baseball environment — joking with his teammates and watching the game from the dugout — was great. It was something he missed while in the hospital, something that will keep him pushing over the next few weeks. Jaelen said he doesn’t know whether he would have been able to recover without all the love he has received.

Watching the first pitch unfold, with Jaelen in front of the mound and his parents watching from the third base side of the infield, was emotional. A “Jaelen Strong” banner hung from the field’s fence.You could feel the love from the Mooney community pouring onto the field.

“I had tears of joy,” Lisa Childs said. “Seeing him smile and be in an element where he feels comfortable meant everything.”

It could have been overwhelming for Jaelen, too. But if he was fazed, he didn’t show it. Instead, he laughed. It turns out there was only one thing on his mind.

“It was hard,” Jaelen said. “I haven’t touched a baseball in a while. It was a different experience for me, you know? I just needed to hit the (catcher’s) mitt. That was my goal. No matter what, I needed to hit the mitt.”

He threw a perfect strike.

The Cougars went on to beat Bishop Verot, a district rival, 7-2. No surprise: Bishop Verot is a good team, but there was no way Mooney was losing that game. Not with their teammate back in the fold.

You can still donate to Jaelen Childs’ recovery through the family’s GoFundMe page.