The Top 10 Softball Stories of 2024: #8… The Power of GoFundMe in Softball (Dec. 25, 2024)
By Brentt Eads
December 25, 2024
The Top 10 Softball Stories of 2024: #8… The Power of GoFundMe in Softball (Dec. 25, 2024)
The Castorri family, including softballers Summer and Emma (far right), lost their home after an August 8 fire. A GoFundMe was organized and raised over four times the original goal.
We continue our year-end look at the Top 10 Softball Stories of 2024… Here is the schedule for this list which will run the rest of December and into January 2025, when we’ll publish the No. 1 Softball Story of The Year:
Top 10 Softball Stories of the Year: #8 – Wed, Dec. 25, 2024
Top 10 Softball Stories of the Year: #7 – Thu, Dec. 26, 2024
Top 10 Softball Stories of the Year: #6 – Fri, Dec. 27, 2024
Top 10 Softball Stories of the Year: #5 – Sat, Dec. 28, 2024
Top 10 Softball Stories of the Year: #4 – Sun, Dec. 29, 2024
Top 10 Softball Stories of the Year: #3 – Mon, Dec. 30, 2024
Top 10 Softball Stories of the Year: #2 – Tue, Dec. 31, 2024
Top 10 Softball Stories of the Year:#1 – Wed, Jan. 1, 2025
Also, on Friday, Jan. 3, 2025, Line Drive Softball will list all the Top 10 stories together and then on Saturday, Jan. 4th we’ll will run the “Other Stories Considered” List.
For each topic (story), an article that we ran earlier this year on Line Drive Softball or was published by our friend at D1 Softball, Justin McLeod, the Associate Editor and former workmate of mine.
So how were the Top 10 picked?
We looked at what were considered the most memorable and important stories of the year as they impacted the sport. In researching the Top 10, we talked to those at at all levels of softball, including college and travel ball coaches, other media members and YOU—the fastpitch community.
— Brentt Eads/Line Drive Softball
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The Top 10 Softball Stories of 2024: #8… The Power of GoFundMe in Softball
GoFundMe is a for-profit crowdfunding tool that was started in 2010 and, in its first decade alone, helped raise over $9 billion (yes, with a “b”).
The variety of ways GoFundMe and similar sites can be used to raise money is unlimited—for happy times in life, such as celebrating big moments like a birthday or a high school or college graduation to trying situations such as an illness or injury to offset medical costs.
In softball, it too has had a big impact in helping the fastpitch world become aware of—and support—those in need.
No, GoFundMe is not softball-specific, but we’ve become aware—especially in the second half of the year—has it’s being used to help those in need.
Just yesterday, we published our second article on Class of 2026 grad Lexi Vernon who was hospitalized with the loss of her eyesight in one eye.
While her GoFundMe campaign is relatively new, it was great to see how successful the platform can be—below are several of the articles that Line Drive featured this year including the uplifting story of how a softball coach lost everything in a fire and a goal was set to raise $25,000 for her.
As of today, close to $40,000 has been raised or more than 1 ½ times the hoped for goal.
Scroll down below to read more stories Line Drive published this year on people helping people, especially in times of loss, sickness or tragedy…
Originally published April 7, 2024 on Line Drive Softball
On the sun-soaked fields of Southwest Florida, where the crack of a bat and the cheers of supporters echo through the air, one woman stands as a beacon of strength and resilience.
Aly Bermudez, a dedicated softball coach with a heart as big as her passion for the game, is facing her toughest opponent yet: cancer.
Aly’s journey into the world of softball began in Londonderry, N.H, where she developed a love for the sport at a tender age. From elite travel teams to college-level play at Lasell University, a private university in Newton, Mass., Aly’s life has been intertwined with the game she adores.
But it’s her role as a coach and mentor that truly defines her.
Having worked with a roster of talented young players in Southwest Florida, including promising young talent such as Victoria Ash, Paige Bettermann, Payton Breadmore, Adrianna Manetta, Natlie Recker, Lollie Lane and many more, Aly has left an indelible mark on the youth softball community.
Aly Bermudez is one of the top pitching coaches in Florida at any level.
Her coaching philosophy goes beyond winning games, however; it’s about fostering a culture of positivity, collaboration, and personal growth.
Now, as the current head coach at New College of Florida—an NAIA located in Sarasota, Fla. and one of the country’s top liberal arts colleges—Aly is determined to build the Mighty Banyans team that not only competes at a high level but also supports each other in becoming the best versions of themselves.
Her commitment to healthy, efficient movement in softball is evident in her involvement with the Tincher Pitching School and her collaboration with experts in body mechanics.
However, Aly’s journey took an unexpected turn when she received a devastating diagnosis: mucinous ovarian cancer, a rare and aggressive form of the disease.
At just 31 years old, Aly found herself facing a grueling battle against a relentless adversary, but, despite the physical and emotional toll of chemotherapy, Aly’s spirit remains unbroken.
In her own words, Aly shares the harrowing reality of her fight against cancer.
“It’s very aggressive and, unfortunately, I’ve been delayed in getting the right treatment due to doctors not being sure how to treat.”
“After finding a specialist who is experienced with this cancer, my plan is now the six months of folfox chemo and a hipec procedure after, which is a highly invasive, but potentially life-saving surgery.”
From the debilitating side effects of treatment to the financial strain of medical bills and lost income, Aly’s journey is marked by both pain and unwavering determination, yet, even in the darkest moments, she finds strength in the outpouring of support from friends, family, and the softball community.
“I am very sick and weak from the chemo and need all the help I can get. Even before the chemo I had significantly declined physically in the last couple weeks due to the fast spreading of the cancer. I am asking for any amount of donation that anyone can help with. Your donations will go toward:
significant loss of income being unable to do softball lessons, clinics, and camps,
medical bills, ER visits (they’re frequent), out of pocket costs and copays,
supplements and holistic support,
meals, meal deliveries, nutritional support,
home care,
supplies,
supportive therapies not covered by insurance and
transportation costs
Now, Aly is reaching out to the wider world for assistance.
A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to help alleviate the financial burden of her treatment and support her in this time of need. Donations will go towards covering medical expenses, essential supplies, holistic therapies, and everyday necessities.
Every contribution, no matter how small, is a lifeline for Aly as she navigates this challenging chapter of her life.
As Aly continues her fight against cancer, her resilience serves as an inspiration to us all. Her unwavering determination to keep her mind strong, stay positive, and never give up embodies the true spirit of a champion.
“I am so grateful for everyone’s support, love, and concern so far,” she begins. “Without it I wouldn’t still be here. It’s tough to keep fighting and suffering this much, losing the ability to do the things I love and basic everyday things.”
“My goal is to keep my mind strong, stay positive, and keep up the will to fight. I cannot explain how hard it is some days. Thank you everyone!”
In the face of adversity, Aly Bermudez stands tall, a shining example of courage, grace, and the power of community.
Together, we can rally behind this remarkable woman and help her continue to make a difference both on and off the softball field.
— Tracy Bettermann / Florida JO Director
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*** To support Aly in her battle against cancer, please consider donating to her GoFundMe campaign by clicking HERE.
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The Athletics Gold Tamborra/Schiller-Jones team which won the 9U USSSA Nationals this summer.
Originally published Aug. 7, 2024 on Line Drive Softball
Softball community: one of us is hurting and, hopefully, we can come together to help in a time of need.
Atlanta Tamborra Head Coach Carey Schiller-Jones, her husband Stan and daughter Dakota.
Travel ball Head Coach Carey Schiller-Jones, along with her husband Stan and softball-playing daughter Dakota, lost all of their physical possessions when a devasting fire destroyed their apartment complex on Saturday, July 27.
Schiller-Jones led her Athletics Gold Tamborra/Schiller-Jones team to a 68-12-3 record over the last year including capturing the 2024 9U USSSA National Championship. The fire occurred barely a week afterwards.
A GoFundMe has been started to help raise funds towards “starting over…” Click HERE to learn more about the fundraiser and how to make a donation.
https://gofund.me/6ddaf64f
Coach Carey already holds a lot of “firsts” in the young history of the Athletics – Tamborra club organization:
1st win in organization history (2023),
1st tournament championship in Athletics – Tamborra history (2023),
1st national championship in organization history (2024).
Not only did the Schiller-Jones family lose all possessions, they and others in their Bell Collier Village apartment in Atlanta, Georgia, have faced the added stress of leaving behind pets who survived the fire and ensuing water damage, but weren’t able to retrieve their animals due to safety issues.
Athletics program head Stacy Tamborra helped start the GoFundMe which has a goal of raising $25,000.
Members of the Schiller-Jones team having fun off the field.
“Carey is one of the most giving, loving and invested coaches, instructors and friends anyone could ever ask for. Our friendship of over 23 years has grown from competitors on the field playing against each other when I was at Florida State and she at Georgia Tech to working together at Champions, raising families together and now coaching together with Athletics Gold Tamborra.”
“It’s an honor and privilege to walk with Carey and her husband Stan and watch their beautiful and talented daughter Dakota literally grow up in Champions.”
Tamborra explains why the GoFundMe was quickly put together and is already close to reaching 50 percent of the intended goal of $25,000.
“This horrible tragedy has taken absolutely everything they own which is just so hard to fathom,” Tamborra continues.
“This is a time for family friends and our softball community to wrap our arms around them, love on them and provide for them in any way possible. I can assure you that this beautiful family would jump at the opportunity to help others in their same situation.”
— Brentt Eads/Line Drive Softball
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The Castorri family, including softballers Summer and Emma (far right), lost their home after an August 8 fire.
Originally published Aug. 16, 2024 on Line Drive Softball
One of the things I love most about working in the fastpitch world is how impressively supportive everyone is within the softball community.
Emma Castorri, a sophomore at Georgia. Photo: Georgia SID.
Take the awful incident last week where the Castorri family—led by parents Christian and Jen Castorri and softball-playing daughters Emma, a current sophomore utility player at the University of Georgia, and Summer, a standout 2026 athlete who plays for the Mojo travel ball team coached by Brittany Lewis—lost their home in Buford, Georgia, due to a devastating house fire.
Originally, a GoFundMe was set for $5,000 but, barely over a week since the money-raiser was started on August 8, 2024, the original goal has been exceeded by four-fold ($20,767 at the time of this posting.)
Impressively, 168 donations were made in the initial week of the GoFundMe including a $1,500 donation from the Mojo club program itself.
“The Castorri family are some of the most kind and generous people in our community,” Coach Lewis says, “and now it’s time to give back to them. Summer is a great softball player, friend, and a believer, and we praise God for looking out for her and her family.”
Of course, the $20K-plus—while wonderfully benevolent—won’t get the family of seven’s home and possessions restored, at least not right away, but is a starting point.
We at Line Drive Softball encourage everyone who reads this to consider making a donation to continue to help a family that’s “one of our own.”
— Brentt Eads/Line Drive Softball
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Pictured below: a screenshot of the initial social message sent out by the Mojo travel organization.
Originally published Oct. 8, 2024 on Line Drive Softball
This is Brentt Eads of Line Drive Softball and I’m going to do something here I rarely do: encourage us all in the softball community to rally behind one person.
In April, we first posted the news that Aly Bermudez, the 31-year-old head coach at New College of Florida, an NAIA program in Sarasota, was diagnosed with a rare type of ovarian cancer and would begin a half-year series of chemo treatments.
A GoFundMe called Coach Aly Cancer Expenses was started with the goal of reaching $45,000 to offset her medical expenses and care along with the loss of income from her not being able to her softball business including private lessons, camps and clinics.
As of today, the GoFundMe has raised a bit more than 35 percent of the goal but as of this week—exactly six months after initial cancer treatment was started— Coach Bermudez’s health, pain and discomfort has worsened as she recently detailed on her social media:
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Our purpose with this update is to encourage our readers and followers to support Coach Aly in whatever ways possible: financially, through the GoFundMeif circumstances permit making a donation, or, simply, through best wishes and prayers for her.
Those close to the beloved coach have rallied behind her and have reached out to Line Drive Softball to express their admiration as well as concern for Coach Bermudez who is originally from the Northeast.
Here’s what some close to her have to say:
*** Sadie Armstrong is a 6-foot pitcher/first baseman and freshman at Longwood University in Farmville, Va. and has taken lessons from Coach Aly.
From Portland, Maine, she states:
“Aly is an inspiration for demonstrating to her students how to battle through adversity with grace. She’s never stopped giving of herself even while so much has been taken from her and is unrelentingly positive and courageous.”
“Coach Aly sets the bar so high for her students with her own behavior that anyone learning pitching from her walks away with a lesson that will not only improve their athletic performance, but their lives.”
“I’m grateful to know Coach Aly and call her my friend.”
Jen Hoar (left) with one of her students.
*** Jen Hoaris a Tincher Certified softball pitching coach who resides in Westford, Mass. with 12 years of experience at Westford Academy and is currently in her second year at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
She also works as a private softball pitching coach and balances her coaching roles with a career as a pharmacist, wife and mother of two children. Aly and Jen met through a common friend in the softball pitching community and became “instant friends,” Coach Hoar remembers.
“Over the past three years, we have collaborated on a few pitching clinics where she has shared her experience and expertise with many of my pitching students.”
“I feel so incredibly lucky and fortunate for the opportunities to learn from her as her passion for coaching is infectious,” Jen continues.
“She’s fun, engaging, and dynamic and you just can’t help but love being in her presence. I am a better coach because of Aly and for that, I will be forever grateful.”
***** Mike Ellison, the Head Coach and Pitching Coach at Edward Waters University and owner, creator, and instructor of PURE POWER Pitching, wrote on his Facebook page yesterday:
Please please put New College of Florida Head Softball Coach Alyson Bermudez in your prayers!! This amazing young lady is trying to battle cancer and lead her young ladies.
***** Bridget DeRoche is a parent whose daughter, Addison, is a standout 2027 pitcher and infielder who helped lead her Cheverus (Maine) High team to a state championship and was named this year’s Gatorade State Player of the Year.
Addison DeRoche has been ranked as a Top 5 player in her class.
Addison has participated in several pitching clinics at which Coach Aly has taught also and works full-time with Coach Jen Hoar (quote above) to enhance her pitching skills.
Both Mother and Daughter DeRoche are huge fans of the ailing college head coach.
“Aly is WONDERFUL!” Bridget writes in all caps. “The softball world is soooo large but tight at the same time and we are hoping to send out the news to a larger audience. Coach Aly is only 31 years old and has the same cancer my mom passed away with this past July.”
“We are hoping to get the help of a larger audience in softball to support Aly and this would mean a lot to us.”
***Finally, another parent of a former pitching student, recently spoke of how impactful Coach was for his daughter.
“Coach Aly is not just a wonderful pitching coach,” began Jason Tessler, “she is who you want around your child. She’s a role model, an example of who you can become when you put in the time and the effort.”
“For my daughter, she was the perfect balance of toughness and empathy. Coach Aly helps the girls realize what they can become and assists them on their journey. We haven’t worked with her since she moved away; however, we still keep in touch and Coach is still focused on helping my daughter.”
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This shirt will be available through the end of Tuesday to raise cancer treatment funds for Coach Aly.
Originally published xxxx, 2024 on Line Drive Softball
The following information was posted this weekend by Tincher Pitching to help raise money for a great cause… to support a college softball coach who we’ve profiled as recently as last week (see articles below)…
A member of the Tincher Pitching family is struggling in her battle with Ovarian Cancer.
Coach Aly
Aly Bermudez, Certified Instructor in Florida, has fought bravely, but is facing more than just a deadly illness. As a Pitching Instructor, when you cannot work, you do not get paid. When medical expenses mount, there is no place to turn.
This adds even more stress to a terrible situation, but we want to give you a chance to help Aly. Let’s give Aly a little relief.
We are taking pre-orders for a special teal t-shirt. We honor victims of this dreaded illness which has affected almost every family at some point, by utilizing teal, the color that symbolizes Ovarian Cancer.
When you order this shirt, every penny above our cost goes directly to Aly. If you prefer to make a donation instead, you can Click HERE.
Important!!! Orders for the shirts will only be accepted through Tuesday so that we can move funds to help her quickly.
All of us want to thank you so very much.
Click HERE to order the shirt and help Coach Bermudez!!!
Originally published Dec. 20, 2024 on Line Drive Softball
Lexi Vernon on the field for her Athletics – Gold team.
Lexi Vernon has been a softball star for decades, it seems… well, maybe not that long but she’s seemingly been on the national scene for years.
Even though she’s just a junior in high school, her list of outstanding softball accomplishments is as long as Santa’s “Good Kids List” and includes:
Playing in a PGF National Championship
Being named to the All-PGF Team
Making the USA All-American team
Competing for Team Italy at Colorado Sparkler
Taking the Field in Scenic City All-Star Games
Today, she plays for the Athletics – Gold team led by Stacy Tamborra and the long-time club coach is, like most everyone who know Lexi’s story, a big fan.
“I have known Lexi since she was 10 years old,” Coach Tamborra begins. “At the young age of 10 you would never know she was dealing with the challenges this young lady faced every day. She’s a fierce competitor at the elite level of our game…and she’s always a force to recon with!”
And Lexi’s not just impressive on the field… her story, from birth to now, continues to shine radiantly.”
“The challenges she faced never dimmed her smile!” Coach Tamborra adds. “Lexi’s forever a ray of sunshine and full of joy. She inspires everyone around her even before you know her story. Once you learn of this amazing young lady’s real-life battle, your life will forever be changed, and you can’t help but be moved to tears.”
“Lexi is never a victim… she’s always a warrior and forever an inspiration!”
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Restored Hearing
Alexis “Lexi” Vernon was born profoundly deaf, but her condition wasn’t diagnosed until she was nearly a year old.
Lexi Vernon walks into the Emergency Room this week.
Around 11 months, it became apparent that Lexi wasn’t hearing loud sounds and wasn’t developing typical words of speech.
Her father, Kevin, would clap loudly behind her, but Lexi wouldn’t move a muscle.
Still, doctors were hesitant to forward the child and her family to specialists until Lexi was close to 14 months old. She was taken to Vanderbilt for a hearing test, but the results were surprising even to her concerned parents.
“Lexi’s audiologist said some of the most difficult words a mother could ever hear,” Jaime remembers. “He told me: ‘Lexi is profoundly deaf and has no natural sound hearing.”
However, what next came out of the doctor’s mouth was words of hope: “We think Lexi is an excellent candidate for a cochlear implant,” the physician said. “It’s a medically implanted device that can restore sound to the deaf.”
The softball player with her cochlear implant surgeon, Dr. David Haynes, aka “The Hearing Healer.”
Four months later, barely a year and a half old, Lexi received cochlear implants where her surgeon, Dr. David Haybnes at Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center (who is affectionally called by the Vernon family as the “Hearing Healer”) brought the future athlete a gift that continues to this day: the gift of hearing.
Three weeks after the surgery, Lexi’s implants were turned on for what the medical world calls an “activation day.” Her family, looks back at that life-altering day as the young baby’s “hearing birthday.”
Amazingly, her mother remembers, Lexi had never heard a sound.
“She had never heard the lullabies that I sang to her every single night as she squirmed and turned and cried because she didn’t hear me. For 14 months I had no idea why.”
The date is etched forever on the family’s calendar: July 31, 2010—more than 14 years ago—when Lexi started receiving signals instead of sound waves, but still was gifted with hearing.
In a summary that is poetic and will wet the eyes of any parent, the mother acknowledged:
“At 21-months-old, Lexi finally heard my lullaby! Her head fell on my shoulder, and we connected. At that point, I knew she would enjoy one of the most joyful gifts life has to offer: hearing music… for the rest of her life.”
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Here’s the powerful video clip of Lexi hearing for the first time:
Still, it wasn’t easy and that wasn’t the end of the journey of learning and adapting.
Lexi would get frustrated with her cochlear implant processors (on the outside of her skull) and throw them.
“Lexi had to work hard to learn to talk and sound like normal hearing children,” her mother remembers. “We made her work hard to hear on her own and then say words and use spoken language according to what she hears, and not just by what she sees (lipreading).”
Today, Lexi is an accomplished pitcher and utility player who has shined at the club and school levels equally.
In middle school, Lexi went 10-0 in the circle and in 50 innings had 130 strikeouts—an average of more than two and a half per inning.
For Franklin (Tenn.) High, as a freshman, she batted .529 and helped her team win a championship thanks to her pitching arm.
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A Terrifying Scare This Month
The junior was on the radar on several collegiate programs and when Sept. 1, 2024, rolled around, she received phone calls from coaches at programs such as Ohio State, Lipscomb, Marshall, and Miami of Ohio, among others.
Lexi resting in her hospital bed this week.
Unfortunately, a shoulder injury from years ago caused Lexi to lose velocity in her pitching and her shoulder began to pop out of socket in games from overuse.
The tough call was made in early October to have surgery which included inserting four anchors. Understandably, college recruiters wanted to see that the pitcher was recovered from her shoulder clean-up.
“The blow was a lot,” the athlete’s mother recalls. “Lexi overcame it and was on her way back and was close to being cleared to throw again. She was crushing it in physical therapy.”
Then came, perhaps, the scariest incident in the young softball players life.
Earlier this month—on Saturday, December 7, 2024—the teen athlete had a sudden and intense headache, and, by Sunday, she felt like something was painfully irritating her eyes.
Terrifyingly, on Monday she was at school and, over the course of three hours, lost the vision in her left eye. After consulting with an Ophthalmologist, Lexi was sent to the local hospital ER for an emergency MRI, but she couldn’t get an MRI without special work being done because of magnets in Lexi’s skull.
“This put me over the edge,” Jaime admits. “Lexi couldn’t get through it because it was so painful—it would have been a three-hour MRI and she wouldn’t have been sedated. She was trying her best but it was so, so much.”
More tests were ordered including the teen having a spinal tap and bloodwork done before she was admitted last Friday—scarily enough, Friday the 13th.
The diagnosis came back with a shocking report the athlete’s mom said she will remember for the rest of her life.:
“The doctors said Lexi was legally blind in her left eye.”
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Battery of Tests
Quickly, Lexi received a surgically administered port for “some pretty intense treatments” which included starting steroids and beginning a process called PLEX where the athlete’s blood was extracted, spun and processed to get rid of antibodies.
The early prognosis wasn’t promising as Lexi was unresponsive to the medical treatments and her vision was unchanged.
“It was absolutely heartbreaking,” Lexi’s mother continues. “The Neurologist told us, ‘We have to be aggressive because we don’t want her to be deaf and blind.”
“I cry when I stop for a minute,” the mother continues. “It hits me in waves and it’s just been hard.”
Lexi was facing an MRI this week but there was a concern: with magnets in her head, there were risks to getting the procedure done.
Her cochlear implant surgeon, Dr. David Haynes, was called in and quickly saw a dangerous possibility: the medical expert pointed out that an MRI would be too dangerous to attempt
Lexi’s mother recounts:
“Dr. Haynes said they if they (the doctors) had gone thru with the MRI, it could have literally pulled her magnets out of her head and it would have been so bad!”
As this week proceeded, the athlete continued to have PLEX and Plasma treatments as well as IV steroids to see how she responded.
The process was exhausting, Jaime admits.
“Lexi is so wiped out and swollen from the steroids and fluids. It’s been just so much on her body over the past two years.”
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Easing the Burden of Lexi’s Medical Bills
As hard as the last few weeks have been—and it’s not just that the family has had to watch Lexi suffer and struggle with her eyesight—there have been serious financial hits as well.
The medical bills out of pocket have surpassed $10,000 and Jaime added: “I have to go thru the Obamacare exchange so it’s expensive and the deductibles and out of pocket costs are tough.”
Still, there have been uplifting and comforting moments as well.
A friend of the family, Matt Schultz, who calls himself “Patton Claus, the Furry Filanthropist” on Face and X/Twitter (@patton_claus), heard about Lexi’s situation and started a GoFundMe to help offset the family’s increasing medical costs.
Over the past four years, “Patton Claus” has raised over $50,000 for sports families in crisis, most often softball families, without taking a cut or commission.
Explained Shultz, the GoFundMe creator:
“The goal is to help the family cover out of pocket medical expenses for these past few months and when the benefits clock resets in two weeks. One hundred percent of the donations will go directly to the family.”
Hello Frens of Furry Filanthropy!!
Please take look and help this resilient softball player and her family deal with an incredible challenge this Christmas.
With a goal of $2,500 to be raised, as of Friday afternoon (Dec. 20), 35% or $878 through 13 donations, was pledged including a $300 donation by an anonymous donor.
Anyone wanted to help the athlete and her family can donate by clicking HERE.
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Coming Home… & Facing the Future
Thursday night the family received surprisingly good news: after another round of tests and treatments, Lexi was allowed to go home from the hospital.
“Her vision is good for now,” the athlete’s happy mother said, “and we are watching and waiting on more test results. Still, Lexi’s so wiped out and swollen from all the steroids and fluids she’s been given.”
Lexi received IV steroids and other fluids this week.
Earlier today (Friday, Dec. 20), the teen’s mother reported a conversation with the neurologist and the family was cautiously optimistic, knowing they weren’t yet out of the woods.
“There are some things we’re watching with her extremities and such,” Jaime explained. “We still haven’t received answers or test results that indicate something definitive so we’re ready for that.”
So what is keeping the athlete and her family persevering through such uncertain times, especially over the holidays?
“For me,” the athlete’s mother begins, “I think it’s truly remarkable how much Lexi’s cochlear implants and ability to hear have changed her life—especially at a time like this. It’s nothing short of a miracle.”
“But what really stands out to me is the mental and emotional side of her journey as an athlete,” Jaime says of her daughter. “Everything she had worked for was put on pause overnight with her shoulder injury—which is now really healthy and strong—and yet, she perseveres through it all.”
“Lexi’s faced a previous ankle surgery, and now this new challenge of blindness in one eye—those highs and lows are part of every athlete’s journey. But when you’re a pitcher, or any athlete, there’s an added level of pressure on your mental and emotional well-being.”
The athlete’s mother says she’s proud of how the student-athlete has handled not just the recent risk of vision loss, but her hearing issues at birth.
“Lexi works incredibly hard not just in softball but in her honors and AP classes, too. The effort she puts into understanding and excelling academically, despite her hearing barrier, is awe-inspiring. Lexi’s hearing loss is invisible to most people, so navigating that can be challenging as teachers and peers may not always understand what she’s going through.”
The teenager has lived a life of overcoming trials and her mother believes it has shaped Lexi’s resilience in profound ways.
“We invest in her mental and emotional health just as much as we do her physical training and rehab, Jaime explains. “Lexi’s natural resilience is a true gift, one that’s come from her own unique story.”
Reason to smile… heading home on Wednesday evening (Dec. 18).
And for young athletes who are facing similar situations, Jaime says that having the right medical help is crucial.
“I would also say to any parent of an athlete to please take the time to find the right therapist when your child is facing tough challenges.”
“In Brentwood (Tenn.), we found a therapist who specializes in working with athletes, and it’s been a game changer for Lexi. She feels more comfortable speaking up, advocating for herself, and ensuring her voice is heard in decisions. This is a gift that will help her for a lifetime.”
And what does Lexi have to say about her medical journeys? She points to her faith as being crucial to her growth and development in life.
“It’s been a difficult time with all the treatments and surgeries,” Lexi admits, “but one thing I know for sure is that God has everything under control. He will use this experience for anyone else who is struggling and doesn’t know where to turn for answers.”
The softball standout says she would love to help someone who faces a similarly uncertain medical prognosis.
“I can be a friend and someone they can lean on. Also, when it comes to your health, I feel it’s crucial to always trust your gut. No one knows your body like you do.”
And through it all, Lexi says she’s grateful for all those who have been there for her.
“Thanks to everyone who has reached out or shared my story,” she concludes. “I’m so thankful for our close softball community!”
— Brentt Eads/Line Drive Softball
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Lexi is home from the hospital now and went on an outside walk with her mother on Tuesday.
Originally published Dec. 24, 2024 on Line Drive Softball
Last week, Line Drive Softball told the story of Lexi Vernon, the talented Class of 2026 softball player who was born deaf but has been able to hear thanks to childhood cochlear implants.
Earlier this month, however, the athlete and her family faced a serious threat as Lexi went blind in one eye and had to be hospitalized.
Call it a “Christmas Miracle” (we did!) or a tremendously positive development, but Lexi was able to leave the hospital just days before Christmas.
Her mom, Jaime Vernon, posted on Facebook this morning some great news about Lexi’s progress including going out for a walk with mom today… here’s the social media post:
LEXI UPDATE!!
So many continue to send texts and prayers for Lexi! thank you so very much.
She is on continued rounds of steroids for 6 more weeks. It’s affected her body and it just makes me a little sad because all she’s been through. She says her vision gets a little blurry from time to time but she thinks it’s the meds and her body recovering.
We’ll be able to talk that over with Neuro-Ophthalmology soon.
Overall, she seems to be good and she can hear and see. Something I’m so grateful for this Christmas! I praise God she got out of the hospital in time for Christmas!
Today was the first day she got out and walked with me. Thankful for these temps so we could breathe some fresh air—she could get some mild exercise.
Love you all and thank you so very much for all the texts and prayers! Keep praying for no relapses and her body to continue to get back to normal.
Merry Merry Christmas!!!!!
Mom Jaime posted on Facebook today (Dec. 24, 2024) an encouraging update.
That’s GREAT news on the health recovery side but remember that the Vernon family still has medical bills well over $10,000 (and growing) due to out of pocket medical expenses for the last few months as well as on Jan. 1, 2025 when the benefits clock resets.
We listed a GoFundMe in the article, and we’d like to promote it for those who have—or will get—a few extra dollars in their Christmas stocking.
We know many are tapped out (emotionally as well as financially!) because of the holidays, but this is a member of our softball community and she needs our help!
The story of how the GoFundMe got started is an example of people can serve others.
Matt Schultz created Lexi’s GoFundMe to help offset the costs with the goal to be $2,500. As of this morning (Christmas Eve Day or Dec. 24), the amount raised was $1,578 or 63% of the goal set.
The leader of Lexi’s GoFundMe: Patton Clause,, the Furry Filanthropist
Matt created a fun identity to raise money through GoFundMe campaigns—and not just Lexi’s.
Heading the Patton Clause the Furry Filanthropist program is Patton Clause himself, a good-hearted dachshund who has helped raise over $50,000 for sports families in crisis over the past four years—most often softball families.
“Patton Clause never takes a cut or commission,” Schultz explains, “and 100 percent of the donations made out to Patton Clause the Furry Filanthropist will go directly to the family. As a 501c3, contributions are generally considered tax deductible.”
So how did Matt, umm, Patton Clause rather, find out about Lexi’s situation?
“I became aware of the medical situation scrolling Twitter a week ago,” the canine’s human companion continues.
“Such a tough story, but thankfully she seems to have turned a corner. Just being familiar with her family’s out-of-pocket expenses and deductibles, I know it’s an unwelcome financial burden on top of everything else Lexi has already overcome.”
Interestingly, neither Matt nor Patton knew the athlete or her family before her hospitalization last week.
“I actually don’t know the family personally,” Matt admits, “but I’m friends through Purple Flying Dachshunds with one of her teammate’s family (the Halls).”
“Part of the identity of Patton Claus is doing good things for others,” he adds, “including strangers, without really taking credit for it. All the credit goes to the dog! My reward in doing these is bringing people together to help others and usually getting a big hug at the end.”
Patton Clause getting ready for his Christmas Eve journey across the globe!!
In addition to supporting the “Furry Filanthropist,” Matt also hosts an annual Christmas fundraiser for Foster Kid Wish Lists.
“The idea is to help the most vulnerable have a freakin’ sweet Christmas!” he continues. “We always try to get everything listed and some.”
Through a family friend with a daughter on Lexi’s team, he moved forward with the GoFundMe for her.
“I got in touch with Krista Hall and had her see if there was a need for assistance. She got some details and permission from the mom and away we went.”
In the season of love and service, Schultz has taken helping others to another level.
“Ideally, I would love to be able to gather the funds to cover the entire medical expense,” he concludes. “With it being Christmas, I realize that is tough, but the softball community is the best around, so we’re hoping we pull through!”
Click HEREto make a donation to Lexi’s GoFundMe to “ease the burden of her medical bills.”
