Morgan's Dream

Meet Morgan

Meet Morgan! This 15-year-old from Clover, SC has learned to lean on faith and place her trust in something bigger than herself. On February 23rd, 2024 Morgan was nearing the end of softball practice when she began to experience unexpected back pain and hand stiffness. Assuming the discomfort was from a pinched nerve, Morgan left practice without realizing her 9th grade season had come to an end.

Within hours, Morgan began to lose function of her legs and arms. She was transported to Levine Children’s Hospital and immediately admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. After several days of extensive testing, Morgan was diagnosed with Transverse Myelitis, a rare neurological condition that involves inflammation of the spinal cord.

Morgan has now entered her biggest battle and chooses to face the storm. Through her spirited determination, this high school athlete went to work in rehab and was discharged just two months later! Morgan continues to participate in outpatient therapies that focus on the improvement of her fine motor skills.

With the goal of returning to the ball field, this dreamer is ready to be surrounded by the sport she loves. Morgan will be the VIP guest at the 2024 ACC Baseball Championship!

Morgan's Dream

The Dream started off with surprising Morgan at her high school with her coaches, teammates, and even her therapists waiting for her in the locker room! She hasn’t been at school since her diagnoses and it was so fun for her to be able to see everyone. After a quick huddle, we loaded everyone up in the limo to head to Charlotte.

Our first stop was a glam session! Morgan had her hair and makeup done by Beauty By Bristol and her little sister got a little glam too! She kept saying how much she loved her hair and makeup and it was such a fun way to kick off the weekend.

Then, it was off to dinner at North Italia. The food was delicious and the staff was amazing. We couldn’t end the night without dessert though, so we headed over to The Yard Milkshake Bar! They made Morgan a custom milkshake and displayed it on their screens when we arrived. It was so special and the milkshakes were just as good as they looked!

The night finished by checking into our hotel, the Kimpton Tryon Park Hotel. The family was so excited about the view of Truist Field from their room!

Day two for Morgan was a blast! We started the day with brunch at Angeline’s Charlotte. The food was delicious and the staff was wonderful, it was the perfect way to start our day.

The Dream Team headed to Truist Field and once there, Morgan was escorted through the player entrance and onto the field. She got to meet several coaches and players from both the Florida State Seminoles Baseball and Wake Forest Baseball teams. Morgan then got to throw out the first pitch, and she did an amazing job!

Thanks to the Atlantic Coast Conference, the family had a private suite to watch the game from. The family was so thrilled and we can’t thank the ACC enough for their generosity!

Before the second game, Morgan got the chance to meet players and coaches from the Miami Hurricanes Baseball team. Everyone we met yesterday was so welcoming to Morgan and her family. We also took Morgan on a quick shopping spree to grab some ACC swag before the game started.

Halfway through the game the ACC came to get us from our suite so we could move to seats closer to the field! Morgan was so excited to see the ending of the game up close. Afterwards, the head coach of the Duke Baseball team, Coach Pollard, came up to talk with Morgan. It was so generous of him to visit after their big win.

We finished the day with fireworks and it was the best way to end the day!

On day three, we started the day by getting breakfast at the Famous Toastery Uptown. The staff really went above and beyond and decorated their private room for Morgan and her family. They had balloons and a name sign for her. She kept asking “How does everyone know my name?” It made her feel like a true VIP!

After a delicious breakfast we headed over to Truist Field for the championship game. Our liaison from the Atlantic Coast Conference, Abby, was able to grab Morgan’s custom bat and make sure she got it filled with players’ signatures! It’s the best souvenir from an amazing weekend. We even got a visit from Jim Phillips, the ACC Commissioner, in our suite! He was so kind to come spend some time with the family.

Then it was game time! During the 8th inning we were able to move down closer to the field. It was so cool being close for the final play and to see Duke Baseball celebrate their championship victory. We stayed to watch the trophy presentation and afterwards Coach Pollard came over to speak with Morgan. He was so happy to see her back at the game.

It was an amazing weekend from beginning to end and we can’t thank the ACC enough for their hospitality and generosity! This will be an experience that Morgan remembers forever!

Dream Snapshots