Connor Daddario, left, and his sister Maddie, celebrated the first anniversary of Connor’s open-heart surgery last week. Connor will throw out the first pitch at the Valley Cats game on July 19.
There will be a group of special heroes among all the superheroes at Thursday’s Valley Cats game. Thirteen of the American Heart Association’s Cardiac Kids – children born with congenital heart defects – will be sporting their red capes at the game.
One of them, Connor Daddario, 2, of Niskayuna, will throw out the first pitch at 6:45 p.m.
A blip on an ultrasound sent Connor’s mom, Courtney Daddario, to a specialist when she was 23 weeks pregnant. She never expected to hear that her baby had a 50/50 chance of surviving.
Connor has done more than just survive – he is thriving and has no limitations. ON THURSDAY, JULY 19, AT 6:45 P.M., CONNOR (with a little help from his Dad, Matt) WILL THROW OUT THE FIRST PITCH AT THE TRI-CITY VALLEY CATS game at the Joseph L. Bruno Stadium at 80 Vandenburgh Ave. in Troy.
Connor and 13 other Cardiac Kids will be attending the game as guests of the Valley Cats.
“July 13 was the one-year anniversary of Connor’s open-heart surgery,” Courtney
Daddario said. “He was born with an atrioventricular septal defect and cleft artery. With all the
wiring in his chest, his chest is stronger than many other people’s.”
Connor will be the Heart Hero of the 2019 Capital Region Heart Walk and Run, set for next
June. Daddario hopes to use the year to raise awareness about congenital heart defects, which
affect 1 in 100 children.
“I didn’t even know children could be born with a heart defect,” Daddario said. “I would like this
year to be all about pediatric heart health and keeping your heart healthy.”