Baseball Player Who Died Gets 'Hero's Sendoff' For Donating Organs

A minor-league baseball player and organ donor who died of a head injury after falling from an electric skateboard was celebrated with an “honor walk” at a Pennsylvania hospital on September 4.

Chace Numata, a catcher for the Erie SeaWolves and a Detroit Tigers prospect, was given a “hero’s sendoff” to the operating room before the organ donation, according to a press release from the Center for Organ Recovery & Education (CORE).

Numata, 27, died on September 2, reports said. His heart, liver, kidneys, and pancreas were donated.

This video shows a group of people ushering the body through the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Hamot hospital in Erie, as Numata’s favorite song – KC and the Sunshine Band’s “Give It Up” – plays in the background.

“Give It Up” was played every time Numata walked onto the baseball field, the press release said. The video also shows an earlier clip of Numata dancing to the song.

At the end of the honor walk, Numata’s parents said goodbye. The body was surrounded by family, hospital staff, and Erie SeaWolves President Greg Coleman during the ceremony.

The hospital also lit up its exterior in blue and green to represent the “Donate Life colors,” a tradition done for all organ donors, according to the press release. Credit: CORE/UPMC via Storyful