Play ball! Mass General for Children specialist throws out first pitch at Fenway Park

On July 14, David Sweetser, MD, chief of Medical Genetics and Metabolism at Mass General for Children, threw the first pitch at the Boston Red Sox versus Los Angeles Dodgers game at Fenway Park to raise awareness of the Field of Genes campaign, a fundraising initiative launched by Dodgers pitcher – and former Red Sox player – Rich Hill, and his wife Caitlin.

Sweetser cared for Rich and Caitlin’s son Brooks before he died at two months old. He later diagnosed the infant with Galloway Mowat Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that affects only 70 people worldwide.

With the creation of Field of Genes, the Hills hope to help support other families facing similar medical complexities and enable Sweetser’s lab to continue its groundbreaking research into rare diseases.