Christmas Wishes Go Out To: Chance Veazey

Chance Veazey will always remember that pitch.

Fastball. Low and inside.

He’ll always remember what it felt like, too, when his bat connected with the ball.

“The best feeling in the world,” he said.

Veazey looked up to see the ball soaring high over the right-field fence, slamming off the top of the scoreboard with a most satisfying thud. It was only a practice game at the University of Georgia, the chance to get in some fall swings before the season began in the spring, but the rush of hitting one out of the park still surged through his body.

“That’s the way you want to go out,” Veazey said, his face revealing both sadness and satisfaction.

Two days later, he was paralyzed from the waist down when his scooter slammed into the side of a car. In all likelihood, he’ll never walk again, much less return to the sport that was such a big part of his life.

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