Gillette Children's teams up with Twins to present custom baseball helmet for Andover teen with a rare medical condition
MINNEAPOLIS — Fifteen-year-old Bennett Fisk, of Andover, loves baseball and has been playing youth league his whole life.
"It gives me something to do when I'm just sitting there, and it helps me with teamwork," said Fisk.
Unfortunately, last season, he had to sit out because even the largest adult-size baseball helmet didn't fit his head and it was too unsafe to play without a helmet.
Bennett was born with hydrocephalus, which caused fluid to build up in his brain and the size of his head grew faster and larger than it should have.
"We kind of thought I couldn't play baseball anymore," said Fisk.
Then the Twins stepped in and teamed up with Rawlings Sports Equipment and Gillette Children's Hospital to make sure Bennett could stick with his passion. Nick Anderson, with Gillette Children's, met with Bennett over six months to build and fit a custom helmet for him.
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"I had to get some custom foam fitting that had to be 3D printed made for the inside, that's just for this helmet, and that gave us the tolerances that allow it to fit Bennett," said Anderson.
On Sunday, just in time for baseball season, Anderson presented the helmet to Bennett on the three bases of Target Field before the Twins game against Detroit. Then, Bennett ran to the home plate wearing his new helmet to mark the honorary first run of the game.
It was a day that meant so much to the entire Fisk family, including Bennett's dad, Joe.
"I'm so proud of him, this is awesome. It feels great, it really does," said Joe Fisk.
Bennett celebrates what makes him different, and hopes this moment is just the beginning of a long lifetime on the baseball diamond.
"It means a lot because now I get to be unique," said Fisk, "because then I 'm not like everyone else and I can be my own person."
Gillette Children's is already working on another specialized, custom sports equipment project for another child with a similar need in the Midwest.