Photo taken and used with permission by Shane Gerlach
Inspirational, courageous, heroic….these are just some of the words that describe Derek Gerlach.
Derek has been fighting against a cancerous brain tumor which was diagnosed in November. Since that day Derek has been fighting with a strength that can only be described as super human.
All of that strength and fight has led to some recent big wins. Derek was able to participate in a couple of baseball practice drills in May with his team. A recent MRI scan came back clean. And on Wednesday, June 5th, Derek inspired everyone by playing in his first baseball game of the season.
With leg braces in place, ball pants and jersey just right, Derek stepped out onto the field and played first base. He was able to be a part of three plays that night and step into the batters box for an at-bat.
Photo taken and used with permission by Shane Gerlach
The fight continues for Derek with more rounds of chemotherapy to keep the MRI results coming back clean, but for one evening, Derek was a normal 11-year-old boy playing the sport he loves. That night he showed us it’s not about always making the play or getting the big hit, but it’s the attitude, determination, courage, and fight you bring to what you do. On this night on the baseball field, Derek certainly inspired his teammates, coaches, and parents to always keep fighting.
To help support Derek’s fight, donations can be made to his Go Fund Me page found here, https://www.gofundme.com/help-derek-fight/.