5-year-old throws Orioles first pitch with her robotic hand

5-year-old Hailey Dawson was born with a rare congenital disease called Poland Syndrome, which causes underdevelopment in the pectoral muscle and sometimes affects the use of fingers on one side of the body.

The 26-year-old defensive end – who was seen almost three weeks ago in photos obtained by the Daily News with a massive wrap around his right hand after injuring his hand in a July 4 fireworks accident – posted a photo on his Instagram late Monday of Hailey Dawson wearing an Orioles-themed robotic hand. After effortly tossing out the first pitch and even getting to fist bump her favorite player, third baseman Manny Machado, this is a girl who is completely comfortable in her skin. Hailey threw out a first pitch at a UNLV baseball game, but wanted to try the big leagues. The fingers grab when her wrist is down, and open up when her wrist moves upward. The entire creation of her hand – initiated by Hailey’s mom and led by two faculty members at UNLV with the help of four students – has been documented in detail by UNLV, so read that if you’re interested in the engineering side of this story. “Ultimately, the goal is not for her to just have her dream come true, but to also expose the hand… people can get this hand and it’s available to anybody”.

And Orioles fans got to see her use it to throw out a very special ceremonial first pitch on Monday night. Never in my wildest dreams did I think this would ever happen. Just look at the prosthetic worn by five-year-old Hailey Dawson.

You can find out more about the Robohand 3D printable hand prostheses on their website where you can download the 3D files to print your own, or just discover ways to chip in.