DESOTO COUNTY, Miss. — A DeSoto County boy wound up with four game balls at a recent St. Louis Cardinals’ game in a day he’ll never forget.
He thinks his grandfather had something to do with it.
Elijah Lewis truly treasured the time he spent practicing and playing catch with his grandfather, Rick McCammon. The 10-year-old says, no doubt, his grandfather was his biggest fan.
Home video shows the pair playing catch in the backyard recently. But days later, McCammon tested positive for COVID-19.
The family hoped he would pull through, especially since they had plans to go to a St. Louis Cardinals baseball game.
But things took a turn for the worse. McCammon was admitted to the hospital and died just days before their trip to St. Louis.
Elijah told his dad they should still go to the game. He said it’s what his grandfather would have wanted. The family agreed.
The trip was one for the books, as Elijah wound up with not one, not two, but four game balls.
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“Jordan Hicks gave him one, the catcher-coach gave him one and he got two from the warmup catcher in the outfield,” Elijah’s dad, David Lewis, said.
Elijah was so happy he shared his joy by giving one of the balls to another kid he didn’t know. His dad took a picture of it, and several more.
“Regardless of the circumstances going on, he was just like more or less, this is the best day of my life. It made him, it wasn’t closure, but it made him feel good,” David Lewis said.
While Elijah wished his grandfather had been there by his side, the family is convinced he was there — in spirit — and had something to do with those four game balls.
“When we laid his grandfather to rest, he gave one to him,” his dad said.
That means Elijah has two balls left to keep up that pastime.
It’s a reminder that his grandfather will always be rooting him on.
Rick McCammon, was 70 years old when he died. He leaves behind 25 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren.