Amarillo native Sage Warner, 17, was made an honorary member of the Texas Tech baseball team Saturday morning. Warner spent most of his life in and out of the Shriners Hospital in Houston undergoing 18 surgeries for scoliosis.
“[Shriners Hospital] has done numerous, numerous things,” Warner said. “They definitely changed my life.”
Warner said during his time in and out of the hospital he looked to sports as a distraction but doctors told him under no circumstances could he play contact sports.
“When I was nine or so I wanted to play baseball I begged my mom,” Warner said.
Through a joint effort from Shriners Hospitals, the South Plains Shrine Club, and Texas Tech baseball, Warner was presented with his own jersey, hat and a ball signed by the entire team.
“I’m finally able to be part of a team,” Warner said.
“We like to show support for Sage and all that he’s been through and the great inspiration he’s been to us for what our organization does and to the other kids in our hospitals,” South Plains Shrine Club chairman Jordan King said.
TTU baseball head coach Tim Tadlock said having Warner at practice is what team work is all about.
“We want to definitely embrace the opportunity to help people that might not be as fortunate as us and then again he might be more fortunate in some other ways he might be able to teach us some things along the way,” Tadlock said.
Warner’s honor came ahead of Tech’s appearance in the 2016 Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic at at Minute Maid Park, the home of the Houston Astros, February 26-28.
$1 from the sale of each ticket will be donated to Shriners Hospitals.
“It’s definitely worth everything,” Warner said. “What I’ve been through, it’s definitely worth it.”
For more information on the 2016 Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic click here.
