SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — For 17-year-old Diego Morris, his passion for the San Diego Padres runs deep, rooted in his childhood memories of family outings to the ballpark.
"I went to my first game when I was six. I went to Petco for the first time, and that was super cool," he said.
However, Diego's journey has been anything but typical. Born with a rare heart condition, he underwent three open-heart surgeries in his young life. Just when he thought he was on a path to recovery and ready to enjoy his senior year of high school, Diego received a devastating leukemia diagnosis.
"It was a hard time because I felt like I was missing out on so much for the end of high school," he reflected.
But through those challenging times, Rady Children's Hospital became a place of support, helping him make the most of his difficult situation.
During his hospital stays, Diego found solace in watching the Padres games from his room.
"As a Padres fan, you know we have our ups and downs, but that relates to what I went through that past year," he said. "I had up days, everything was looking good, and then some days where my kidneys would give out or I'd have to go through chemo. Those were hard days. But there were really good days in there."
A significant source of inspiration for Diego has been his favorite player, Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill. Diego hopes to meet Merrill during an upcoming trip to Peoria, Arizona, for Padres Spring Training, a journey made possible by the Padres and Rady Children's Hospital.
"I try to have that clutch factor, keeping calm in those situations, knowing that everything will work out," Diego said as he prepares for this special experience.
He is set to head to Spring Training next week and ABC10NEWS will be following him on his journey as a young fan who continues to persevere despite life's hardships.
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