CHARLOTTE, N.C. — At Hopewell High School’s baseball game Tuesday night, the team and its supporters helped spread the message of hope for one Huntersville family.
7-year-old Ella McKee loves watching baseball. Her brother Ethan McKee is on Hopewell's junior varsity team and at this latest game, Ella got to join him on the field.
Coach Shawn McGeorge invited Ella to throw the first pitch at Tuesday's game against Mallard Creek High School.
"Just seeing Ella at the games and seeing how much she loves baseball and how much she loves her brother, I just thought it’d be nice to have her throw out the first pitch," McGeorge told WCNC Charlotte.
The gesture meant a lot to the McKees and is just one example of the community rallying around them during Ella's health journey.
"Being around friends, and family at the baseball field is a huge distraction from the grim diagnosis," Heather McKee, Ella's mother. said.
Ella has an extremely rare, neurological condition called Vanishing White Matter Disease. VWMD is a chronic, progressive condition that destroys the brain's white matter.
As Heather pointed out, Ella's condition is terminal, as there is currently no known cure for VWMD.
"We were told she’s one of 350 mainly children in the whole world that have this," Ella's father, Jesse McKee, added.
The family looks for happiness in every single day and a big part of that is baseball.
"Her joy for life is really what keeps us going every day," Heather said.
Jesse said dealing with an extremely rare condition can feel lonely at times but the community’s support makes them feel part of the team.
The McKees hope their story helps spread awareness about Vanishing White Matter Disease. They have more information on their website.
Contact Julia Kauffman at jkauffman@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.