College player to be honored at the MLB Draft after donating bone marrow
University of South Carolina reliever Jason Boulais understands the meaning of sacrifice. When Boulais was asked whether he wanted to be a bone marrow donor, he didn’t hesitate, even if it meant he would have to miss his senior season.
That’s not exactly what happened, but it’s close enough. Boulais signed up to be a donor through BetheMatch.org. Only one in 540 volunteers actually get the call to donate, and Boulais just so happened to be one of the select few, according to Lindsay Berra of MLB.com.
Boulais received the call in February, and expected to miss the entirety of his senior season. Despite that, Boulais says he never reconsidered his decision.
“I’m at a point in my baseball career where I’ve taken to the fact that it’s pretty much over for me,” Boulais said. “It was my senior year, yes, but I didn’t really think anything of it. When ‘Be the Match’ called, I told them I was 100 percent in. I didn’t think twice about it.”
Boulais was paired up with a five-year-old French boy who has a type of blood cancer that can be fatal. The procedure was initially scheduled for April, but complications pushed it back to May. This allowed Boulais to play in all but the final game of the season.
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He went through with the surgery, and says he’s fully recovered now. Throughout the process, Boulais’ teammates and coach were supportive of his choice.
His teammates and coach Bryan Lewallyn were completely supportive. Lewallyn, who is a new father of a 2-year-old girl, empathized with the family of the French boy and completely understood Boulais’ decision.
“I’ve come to realize there are things that are bigger than baseball, bigger than the game and the sport,” Lewallyn said. “For Jason to have the chance to save a life and have such a big impact on the boy and his family and parents, there was never a hesitation in my mind that it was the right thing for him to do.”
On Monday, Boulais will be honored by Major League Baseball during the MLB Draft. He’ll be given a tour of the studio, as well as Yankee Stadium. Boulais will also chat with Tim Wakefield, who played for Boulais’ favorite team growing up, the Boston Red Sox.
Boulais said that he’s glad his story will bring awareness to BetheMatch.org.
“I never expected to get this much attention for just doing the right thing,” he said. “But I’m glad the story is getting out there to spread awareness about ‘Be the Match,’ because anyone anywhere could save a life.”
Though he was available for most of the season, Boulais was willing to give up possibly the final season in his baseball career in order to help another person in need. That shows an incredible amount of maturity, and puts the game in perspective.
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Baseball is often a distraction from the hardships of real life. While some take it very seriously, it’s still just a game. Boulais realized that, and may have saved a life in the process. That is certainly deserving of recognition.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
