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HIGHLAND — An 11-year-old Utah boy is making a name for himself in the world of Major League Baseball, throwing out pitches in front of adoring fans, all while spreading awareness for children like him with special abilities.
Cooper Murray is a child with Down syndrome. He has recently been given the opportunity to throw the first pitch at Major League Baseball games across the country — at iconic stadiums like Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox, and Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs — in an effort to spread awareness of kids like him who don't get such an easy start in life.
Cooper was born in China, and was found on a street corner when he was 6 months old. He was taken to an orphanage where he lived for the first four years of his life. In 2006 he was adopted and given the chance to spread his wings. According to his dad, Brady Murray, the founder and president of RODS Heroes, a nonprofit that encourages the adoption of children born in difficult circumstances, Cooper has shown how incredible he really is.
As a dad, It's pretty special to see Cooper sing the song he's meant to sing.
– Brady Murray, founder of nonprofit RODS Heroes
"Coop is a great young man," Murray said. "He doesn't speak super well, and I would consider him nonverbal in the sense of formulating sentences, but he definitely communicates as well, or better than any of our kids. He's very animated and loves to give hugs and high-fives, and he speaks with his hands really well. He definitely is a life-of-the-party type of kid.
"He loves baseball and is actually really good at it! I've coached him the last couple of years. He's left-handed, but he throws right-handed. He is just a natural athlete."
Cooper's unique ability to both entertain a crowd and throw a good pitch has made him the perfect candidate to start these professional games off strong. The opportunity to do it in front of thousands of people, and bring awareness to the abilities of children like him is exactly what Murray hopes to do.
RODS Heroes, based in Lehi, was created with a mission to find families for children with what Murray calls "special abilities." He said being invited to these iconic stadiums has been a great opportunity to do just that.
"It's a scenario where I just feel strongly that every single child and every one of us has a song we're meant to sing, and that we all have divine potential," Murray said. According to the organization's website, RODS Heroes "gives voices to the voiceless children in foster homes and institutions in international countries," helping kids with unique circumstances.
"We have things that have been entrusted to us that are talents and abilities that when used for good, can help so many," he said.
"Cooper had a rough go during his early years — he was abandoned and he was an orphan. But all of those experiences have given him an opportunity to be able to advocate for other children like him and inspire families to be able to answer the call to adopt a child like him," Murray said.
While the ultimate goal is to bring awareness to children with Down syndrome, who are in need of families, he said watching his son shine has been an experience all its own.
"As a dad, It's pretty special to see Cooper sing the song he's meant to sing," Murray said. "I mean, what a dream come true. Who would have guessed that somebody would say, 'Hey, you know, this kid that you adopted is going be on the big stage at Fenway and Wrigley throwing out the first pitch in front of tens of thousands of people, and just wowing the crowd and bringing a lot of joy and light to that crowd?' — I mean, it's incredible. It's been a life-changing experience for all of us."
Murray said that as the baseball season continues, he hopes to keep the momentum going as RODS Heroes spread awareness about these special children as far and wide as they can.
"We feel strongly that we should continue to keep this momentum going … so we're putting it out there to the universe just to set the goal to have Cooper pitch in every single Major League stadium in the country, with the purpose of raising awareness and helping other kids like him find a home."
