Tennessee Vols outfielder Drew Gilbert gives a flip about ailing children | Adams

Drew Gilbert often makes baseball look easy.

The Tennessee junior center fielder is batting well over .300 and sometimes shows off the arm that once made him a promising pitching prospect. He’s one of the biggest stars on UT’s star-studded team.

But there was nothing easy, or even likely, about his ascent to stardom. His mother knows that better than anyone.

When Drew was a child, Cindy Gilbert would beg God for his life as she made the hour-and-a-half drive from Stillwater, Minnesota, in the Twin Cities area to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. She would cling to Bible verses as she sat in a hospital room while Drew was sleeping after surgery. She never gave up hope amid the uncertainty.

In the second grade alone, Drew had six surgeries to clear intestinal obstructions that occurred suddenly and aggressively. He might be happily riding his bike one minute and entering a hospital three hours later.

He was tested and treated for a myriad of problems, but the diagnosis was never conclusive. After doctors in Minneapolis struggled unsuccessfully for a solution, they sent him to Mayo. But the mysterious stomach attacks continued, and the uncertainty mounted for Cindy and Andy Gilbert, who also have three other children.

“The obstructions were just endless,” she said. “I would pray that he would be able to go to school, go to a birthday party, just be able to play. I would pray that he would grow up."

Her prayers were answered.

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And maybe, prayer is the best explanation as to why Drew didn’t just go grow up but grew into a baseball player with major league potential. Doctors never pinpointed his intestinal problems. They were just as clueless as to why he outgrew them about the time he reached the seventh grade.

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Apparently, there is a genetic component since Drew’s younger sister, Molly, is dealing with similar issues. But Drew is healthy. And he wants to help kids who are dealing with similar, chronic-type illnesses.

That’s why he’s promoting a fundraising drive for patients at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital in Knoxville on Thursday through Saturday during Tennessee’s three-game series with Georgia at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. It’s appropriately titled, “Bat Flip 4 Kids” since he has become well-known for his post-hit bat flips.

For more information on how to contribute, go to Instagram and Twitter accounts @batflip4kids.

Drew hopes to raise money to buy toys for kids and gift cards to purchase meals for their families while they’re hospitalized.

"When I was going through that stuff, I remember how important it was to have something that would take my mind off it," Drew said. "just a toy or something - even if it was something little."

Baseball might have been his best distraction. He loved the game long before he could play it.

"He always had his baseball mitt with him," his mother said. "Once when we left it at the house, Andy drove down to the hospital with it. Drew would fall asleep with his glove on."

Even during the worst of times, when one surgery surgery turned into more surgeries, Drew always believed he would be able to play the game. His parents contributed to that outlook by constantly reassuring him he eventually would be OK.

"I knew I would get healthy," he said. "And I knew at a young age what I was going to do. I was pretty determined."

He doesn't reflect much on his childhood illness and all it encompassed - trips to the emergency room, multiple surgeries and the uncertainty of when it would end. But those experiences help explain why he plays the game with such joy and passion.

"You never know what can happen," he said. "But I feel as though something has been given back to me."

Now, he wants to give something back, too.

John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or john.adams@knoxnews.com. Follow him at: twitter.com/johnadamskns

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Why Tennessee baseball's Drew Gilbert cares about ailing children