Home Run Derby on June 18 to benefit Christian Stage
Christian Stage will be the beneficiary of Home Town Bats’ Home Run Derby at 6 p.m. on Friday, June 18, at Union Hill Ballpark, west of New Prague. The Stage family of Lonsdale, Brielle, Joan, Anna, Christian, Preston and Nick will be at the family friendly fundraiser. (Submitted photo)
Home Town Bats will be holding its fifth annual Home Run Derby at 6 p.m. this Friday, June 18, at Union Hill Ballpark, west of New Prague. The beneficiary of this year’s family friendly fundraiser is Christian Stage, the five year old son of Nick and Joan Stage of Lonsdale. He has three siblings, Preston, Anna and Brielle. Ted Nytes of Home Town Bats organizes Home Run Derby, which features batters from the Dakota- Rice-Scott League hitting for the fences to see who can slam the most home runs.
Christian has been described as a boy full of joy, laughter and spunk. He was diagnosed with Neurofibromatosis in 2019, after his parents noticed a significant loss in his vision. One of the many possible concerns with this type of disease is an optic glioma, a slow growing brain tumor that arises around the optic nerve, which connects the eye to the brain. As the tumor progresses, it presses on the optic nerve, causing a child’s vision to worsen.
In November 2019, Christian underwent an MRI, where they discovered an optic glioma at the optic chiasm, where the two nerves to the eye cross. This tumor is unable to be surgically removed since the risk is too great, and the tumor has greatly impacted his vision in both eyes. He began chemotherapy in January 2020, which continued until February 2021.
Unfortunately this type of tumor rarely goes away completely. Christian will undergo MRIs and have eye specialist appointments every three months to monitor for any changes in his vision or the tumor. Christian has endured many challenges and continues to fight. He perseveres in all his therapy sessions, growing in strength, balance, and coordination. In addition to therapy, Christian will continue to be monitored closely by his genetics team for any other issues associated with Neurofibromatosis. He has had significant vision loss and his future educational path will be different from other children his age.
Christian loves...
To see more on this story pick up the June 17, 2021 print edition of The New Prague Times or the Montgomery Messenger.
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