Make*A* Wish: Takes local player to the Big Leagues

When most of us hear, "Make a Wish!," it's right before we blow out the candles on the awesome cake our parents worked on all night (or spent money to hire a more talented baker to bake). Either way, it's a joyous time, celebrating the prospect of another year of life, surrounded by family and friends, learning and growing and dreaming that anything is possible.

But some kids hear those words for a different reason. Children diagnosed with critical illnesses sometimes struggle to keep fighting, when all they want to do is be a kid, and in Baylor Skelton's words, "play ball like Chipper Jones." That's where the Make-A-Wish Foundation comes in. According to the foundation, "research shows that wishes have proven physical and emotional benefits that can give a child better health outcomes and increase their chances for survival.

Nine year old Baylor, son of Shiloh and Nathan Skelton, was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis at just two weeks old when his pediatrician called to tell the family to get to Vanderbilt as soon as possible. Newborns are pricked on the heel to test for over 90 different things, and C.F. is one of them. Baylor's came back abnormal. "We had no idea what that even meant," said his mother Shiloh. "He seemed like a completely fine, happy baby." When the family got to the hospital, Baylor was given a sweat test that confirmed the diagnoses.

Cystic Fibrosis causes thick mucus that clogs certain organs, such as the lungs, pancreas, and intestines. It also causes malnutrition, poor growth, frequent respiratory infection, breathing problems, and chronic lung disease.

"At two weeks old," recalled his parents, "they told us he wouldn't make it past 18 to 20 years old. But, that has since gone up due to the new medications they have today." Baylor takes 11 different medications daily, along with a pulmozyme treatment, and two to three vest treatments that are 30mins long that shake him to break up mucus. He begins his day at 5:00 in the morning when school is in session, so he can make it to school on time. He also takes six Creon pills every time he eats to help digest what he eats, because he also does not have a working pancreas. Baylor's mom said he takes two or more salt packets a day, because he can't reproduce salt naturally, and if he's sweating, "you can actually see the salt come out of his hair and skin. So when you see him at a restaurant in town, please don't judge us when he picks up the salt shaker and starts eating salt. His body knows when he needs some."

"Some days are hard for him to simply breath," said Shiloh. "He gets so tired, depending on the weather. And, if it's really hot, he gets sick, and it hits him two times harder because his body is trying to fight everything. He goes every two months to the C.F. Clinic at Vanderbilt for his check ups, cultures, blood work and lung function. With him playing and running, excercising those lungs, baseball is the best thing for him to do to keep active."

He started playing the game at just four years old and gained the nickname "Little Chipper" by his coach, Rusty Dotson, because of his highlight playing style. The name stuck with Baylor, until he became a full blown fan of Atlanta Braves Legend and MLB Hall of Famer Chipper Jones. According to Shiloh, Baylor changed his Jersey number from 06 to 10 to match Jones, his hero. "He loves Chipper so much," she shared, "that he even tried batting left-handed. He plays third base, number 10, just like his hero, for the Tennessee Bolts."

His parents say they understand a day may come when he might not be able to play ever again. "He knows that, and that's why he is always so hard on himself and wants to give 100% every time. The doctor could come to us at anytime and say he can no longer play. Some C.F. patients require oxygen and get double lung transplants by age 30. The physical impact baseball has on him is keeping him as healthy as he can be."

The Doctor asked Baylor over a year ago if he would like to apply for a Make-A-Wish to make his dreams come true. He said yes, and on July 20th, he was shocked with a well-executed surprise. Baylor grinned from ear to ear once he realized he was being gifted a trip to meet his hero instead of heading to baseball practice on a hot Saturday afternoon.

The following week, the Skelton family set out to Atlanta, Georgia, where the next four days were filled with one unforgettable moment after another. They enjoyed discovering animals at the Georgia Aquarium, taking a VIP tour of Truist Park, which included an inside look into "Chipper's Corner," views of the press box, champion suites, and the retired jerseys in Monument Garden, seeing batting practice, and dining in the Delta Club before being greeted by Jones. "As soon as Chipper walked through the door," recalled his parents, "Baylor jumped up and ran to him. Chipper asked what his name was, and Baylor was so star struck, he forgot his name! He couldn't believe he was standing right in front of his hero."

Chipper invited him to sit and talk, and they did. Everything from playing the game, to following your dreams even through struggles in life, to the best land for hunting was shared by the duo. Baylor gave Chipper two of his baseball cards of him, signed "Thank you Chipper. From Baylor #10, 3rd Base." "Chipper absolutely loved them," said Shiloh, "and he wanted Baylor to sign the front of them, too." Chipper then signed cards of him Baylor had, and after a hug and a handshake, Baylor's dreams had come true. But,just like the candle of a most glorious birthday cake, to top it all off, Baylor got to play catch on the field with the first baseman coach, Tom Goodwin, during Tuesday's game against teh Cincinnati Reds.

"When you look at Baylor," said his parents, "you would never realize he has Cystic Fibrosis, or that anything at all is wrong. All he wants is to be like all the other kids, where no one knows about his condition, but C.F. is part of his life, and we tell him it's ok to be different, that God knew he would fight daily, and needed him to be a testimony to other people to never give up. He told us he would never give up the fight, because he will be on the field of the Atlanta Braves stadium."

That night, before the Skelton family would wake to make the drive back home, Baylor slept right be the window of their hotel room. There was no fanfare to be seen, no one practicing. Only the stadium lights seemed to remain awake. "I just want to look out at the stadium," the dreamer said. "It's all just amazing, and I really do want to play for them one day."