Greenfield boy one of three pediatric patients to throw out first pitch at Brewers spring training game

One year after undergoing a serious heart procedure, a Greenfield middle-schooler will get to throw out the first pitch at the Milwaukee Brewers first spring training game.

Dazian Garcia, 13, is one of three Aurora Health Care pediatric patients selected to win a surprise VIP trip to see the Brewers in Phoenix, Arizona.

Dazian, a seventh-grader at Whitnall Middle School, is celebrating the one-year anniversary of open-heart surgery to repair a congenital heart condition.

Nolen Rosenthal, 13, of Lannon, and Owen Strege, 9, of Algoma, are also being honored by the Brewers and Aurora Health Care with the all-expenses-paid trip.

As part of the four-day VIP trip, the kids and their families will meet Brewers players, tour the team’s clubhouse and throw out the first pitch at the Brewers’ Cactus League opener against the Dodgers Saturday, Feb. 25 at American Family Fields of Phoenix.

The three were surprised with the trip during a Feb. 18 visit to American Family Field in Milwaukee, where they received a Brewers jersey with their name on the back, toured the clubhouse, played games and visited with team members and Bernie Brewer, the team’s mascot.

"It's really awesome that (the Brewers) did this for him and that Aurora did this as well," said Kristina Garcia, Dazian's mother. "I think it really helped us. And happening on the year of his anniversary, I think it gave us a time to reflect on how blessed we all have been, and him in particular.”

The three were selected after Aurora asked its healthcare providers for nominees who had serious health conditions.

Nolen was diagnosed with an inherited genetic condition also called “soft bone disease,” which means his bones don’t mineralize calcium and break easily. Owen lacks a hormone needed to grow, so he takes daily injections to ensure he keeps growing.

As for Dazian, Garcia said her son had complications following his surgery in February 2022 and ended up missing most of the second semester of school.

But a year later, she said Dazian has no diet restrictions, isn’t on any medications and is back to enjoying his hobbies.

“He’s completely off all of the medications they had him on,” she said. “He’s able to play basketball, but he likes to game, too, like a regular 13-year-old.”

He also likes to watch the Brewers. Garcia said Dazian's favorite Brewers are Christian Yelich, Willy Adames and Freddy Peralta.

Contact Bob Dohr at 262-361-9140 or bob.dohr@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @BobDohr1.

Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal.

DOWNLOAD THE APP: Get the latest news, sports and more

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Greenfield boy to throw first pitch at Brewers spring training game