Boy With Down Syndrome Was Orphaned As A Baby — Now He Throws MLB Pitches.

At only 6 months old, Cooper Murray was found on a street corner in China. As a child born with Down syndrome, he lived in an orphanage until he was 4 years old. When he was finally adopted in 2006, however, it was clear that this sweet kiddo had found his way to the perfect family for him – one that will encourage him to reach his fullest potential.

His Dad, Brady Murray, is the founder and president of RODS Heroes. This nonprofit is all about encouraging others to adopt children born into difficult situations, just like Cooper. The now 11-year-old Utah boy doesn’t speak with words much but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t communicate in his own ways.

“He’s very animated and loves to give hugs and high-fives, and he speaks with his hands really well,” Brady told KSL. “He definitely is a life-of-the-party type of kid.”

In addition to being the life of the party, Cooper has turned out to be quite an athlete.

“He loves baseball and is actually really good at it!” Brady shared. “I’ve coached him the last couple of years. He’s left-handed, but he throws right-handed. He is just a natural athlete.”

That’s why the Murray family has made it their mission to get Cooper to throw out first pitches at every Major League Baseball stadium in the United States. In doing so, not only will this fulfill a dream of Cooper’s but it will also raise awareness of RODS Heroes’ mission.

“It’s a scenario where I just feel strongly that every single child and every one of us has a song we’re meant to sing, and that we all have divine potential,” Brady explained. “Cooper had a rough go during his early years – he was abandoned and he was an orphan. But all of those experiences have given him an opportunity to be able to advocate for other children like him and inspire families to be able to answer the call to adopt a child like him.”

Cooper’s dream is already becoming a reality! Just last month, the talented kiddo had the opportunity to throw the first pitch at Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs. Then, in June, he did the very same at the iconic Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox.

At both events, Cooper lit up the stadium with his infectious joy. Plus, he absolutely nailed his throws!

“As a dad, It’s pretty special to see Cooper sing the song he’s meant to sing,” Brady said. “I mean, what a dream come true. Who would have guessed that somebody would say, ‘Hey, you know, this kid that you adopted is going be on the big stage at Fenway and Wrigley throwing out the first pitch in front of tens of thousands of people, and just wowing the crowd and bringing a lot of joy and light to that crowd?’ – I mean, it’s incredible. It’s been a life-changing experience for all of us.”

Cooper’s journey, which is being documented on RODS Heroes’ Instagram, is being met with so much love and support. So even though this 11 year old has 28 Major League Baseball stadiums left to pitch at, the Murray family knows they aren’t alone in making this dream become a reality.

“We feel strongly that we should continue to keep this momentum going … so we’re putting it out there to the universe just to set the goal to have Cooper pitch in every single Major League stadium in the country, with the purpose of raising awareness and helping other kids like him find a home,” Brady said.

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