LaShya’s love for softball grows thanks to Badgers
November 02, 2017 | Softball, Badgers Give Back, Andy Baggot, Varsity Magazine
Team’s bond with new young friend deepens through Wish Upon a Badger program
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BY ANDY BAGGOT
UWBadgers.com Insider
MADISON, Wis. — LaShya Washington loves to play softball, so when she was invited to participate in the Wish Upon a Badger program, there was little doubt about her intentions.
A 10-year-old from Madison, Washington elected to use her wish spending time with the coaches and players from the Wisconsin softball team.
"They really made her feel special and made her feel like they all just came to hang out with her," said LaShya's mother, Elise Butterfield.
Wish Upon a Badger is built on the same premise as the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Patients at the American Family Children's Hospital with life-threatening illnesses or diseases are given an opportunity to a make a wish and have it granted courtesy of the Badgers Give Back initiative.
LaShya, a fifth-grader at Mendota Elementary School, is a frequent visitor to AFCH because she was born with sickle cell disease, a genetic condition in which there aren't enough healthy red blood cells to carry adequate oxygen throughout the body. She has a port in her chest, requires regular blood transfusions and constantly battles fatigue.
Had an amazing time painting pumpkins with our newest teammate! ???? Happy Halloween from the Badgers!
— Wisconsin Softball (@BadgerSoftball) April 4, 2017
LaShya was 7 when her father, Preston, died from the disease, which affects roughly 4 million people in the U.S.
One of LaShya's favorite past times is playing softball, which drew her to the East Madison Little League, where her brother Terrell plays baseball.
It also led to a memorable introductory meeting with the Badgers, who got acquainted with LaShya during a 90-minute, Halloween-style party last week at Heritage Hall inside Camp Randall Stadium.
"She loves to be the center of attention and she loved the fact that she was one of the only kid with all the girls there," Elise said. "She felt like she was the center of attention all night."
Joined by her two young daughters, UW coach Yvette Healy said she and her players did a variety of craft activities — painting pumpkins, for example — while watching the Badgers play volleyball at Penn State on TV.
"She seemed to bond with the team right away," Healy said of LaShya.
LaShya Washington had a special Halloween thanks to @BadgersGiveBack and @BadgerSoftball ?? #VarsityMag has more ?? http://go.wisc.edu/varsity-8-10
— Wisconsin Badgers (@UWBadgers) November 2, 2017
Healy said she and her players are currently in the process of planning other activities with LaShya.
Butterfield said she sensed earlier this year that her daughter had started to lose her enthusiasm for softball, but that has changed.
"She has started to talk about playing softball again and she can't wait to be able to practice with the team," Elise said. "She seems excited to play softball again this year.
"Having so many positive women who play the same game as her, now I think she will get her love back for it."
Butterfield said she appreciates the fact UW student-athletes volunteer for activities like this, "but they don't have to enjoy doing it, and all the young women had smiles on their faces, laughed a lot (and) took pictures with (LaShya) making her feel like the star of the hour."
