BOSTON — It was a surreal moment for 11-year-old Max Acuto, standing on the pitcher’s mound at Fenway Park.
He got to throw out the first pitch before the Red Sox game Tuesday night.
It was a dream for not only Max, but his whole family.
“To be able to watch it is one thing, but then to be able to be down here and watch him walk out there and do what I know he dreams about doing as a kid and playing when he grows up, I think it’s just such a special moment so surreal for him,” said Bryan Acuto, Max’s father.
Max was diagnosed with a rare form of Leukemia in November of 2023.
His dad says he spent about a month at Boston Children’s Hospital and now has to undergo chemotherapy every couple weeks for two years.
His family says they’re thankful for all the doctors and for opportunities like this.
“No one really knows the difference they’re making, but these kids and families that are going through it, things are so difficult day by day, this is just a nice removal from the reality of what has to happen,” said Acuto.
The nonprofit Team IMPACT helped make this night happen.
They have paired Max up with a college baseball player at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, where he gets to be a part of the team and have regular one-on-one practices.
“So it really gives them a chance to bond to learn about Max to see him go through his progression because a year and a half ago he could barely walk when he came home from the hospital,” said Acuto. “So getting to the point to see him and what he’s able to do tonight is just very special to see, it’s a great program he’s involved in.”
It’s a program that gives children like Max experiences like this that he’ll never forget.
“It was really cool,” said Max Acuto. “Just being on that field and how many people there were.”
Team IMPACT has paired more than 4,000 children with serious illnesses or disabilities with college teams across the country.
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