It is hard to imagine a smile any wider than Justin Nemchek had today, as Yankee Stadium literally turned into his field of dreams.
Thanks to Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, Justin, who suffers from arterio-venous malformation, an abnormal collection of blood vessels near the brain that has left him paralyzed on the left side and causes him seizures, attended today’s game against the Tigers with his family.
Update: Check out lots of photos from Justin’s day in this photo essay post.
Attended might not be the proper word. Nemchek got to:
— Sit in Cashman’s private box.
— Was on the field for batting practice
— Tried on Reggie Jackson’s World Series ring
— Was given a bat by Derek Jeter
— Got to meet the entire team
— Saw his name flashed on the scoreboard
— Had a day he will never forget.
It was a perfect time for Justin, who later this month will undergo invasive surgery that will hopefully cure his seizures.
This came after Cashman, a Darien resident, entertained the Westhill High School softball team last month and had them on the field for the national anthem.
Cashman, another of the local sports dignitaries who does a number of charitable acts that often go unnoticed because he is not seeking attention for his good deeds, read about Justin’s situation in The Advocate and said he wanted to give him “a wonderful experience.”
Cashman easily surpassed his goal.
I will have a column on Justin’s day in Tuesday’s paper and will post some photos after the weekend.
For now, here are three videos of Justin: meeting Reggie Jackson, being introduced to Joe Girardi by Cashman, and with his brother and two sisters getting their pictures taken with A-Rod.
