Plum baseball player awaits kidney transplant

Plum baseball player awaits kidney transplant

By Paul Kogut
VALLEY NEWS DISPATCH
Sunday, June 8, 2008

The Plum Pony baseball team had just lost a semifinal game in extra innings on Memorial Day, and the disappointed players were gathered on a hillside by the field.

Manager Jim Gilboy told the 14-year-olds he was proud of the way they stayed optimistic and rallied twice to tie the game before losing.

Then, his attention focused on one player in particular.

Ryan Pietryga is a great example of someone with a never-give-up attitude, in and outside of baseball.

Ryan has been battling the deterioration of his kidneys since birth and will miss the rest of the season because he is scheduled to receive a transplant June 25 at Children's Hospital in Oakland. His mother, Sherri, will be the donor.

"We never quit in that game," Gilboy said, "and that's something Ryan as a team leader shows the way for us."

Plum's Pony "B" team entered a tournament earlier than usual this year so Ryan could play one more time with his friends before undergoing the transplant. The team normally begins tournament play at the end of June or in early July.

Ryan will continue to play against other Plum in-house teams over the next few weeks before his operation, but the tournament in Penn Hills was special.

Ryan had a game-winning hit in one of the contests.

"At first, I was surprised," Ryan said. "I was not really planning on playing with them again. It was an unbelievable experience."

Ryan, who is nicknamed "Whitey" because of his light blond hair, looks like a typical teenage athlete. He plays pitcher or shortstop mostly, although his versatility has allowed him to contribute at almost every position.

Perhaps the only outward signs Ryan has a serious illness is the padded belt he wears under his uniform to absorb hard hits near his kidneys and the nagging fatigue.

His kidneys are at 12 to 15 percent capacity.

"If I go in to pitch, and the inning lasts long, sometimes I have to take a little breather," Ryan said. "That's basically it. It doesn't affect how I throw or run or swing a bat."

Ryan will not have either of his kidneys removed. The transplant organ will be placed in his groin region.

Both of Ryan's parents, Frank and Sherri, were approved as potential organ donors. Sherri decided she would be the one.

Sherri was touched by the emotional goodbye after the Memorial Day tournament finale.

"The players and parents gave Ryan hugs and wished him well," Sherri said. "We became a tight-knit group last year. It's sad not to be a part of the rest of the season. There's a lot of caring and supportive parents."

Last year, the Plum Pony "B" tournament team took three championships and a pair of second-place finishes.

Ryan was diagnosed with failing kidneys at age 8. As he grew older, his kidneys became weaker. Then, he hit a big growth spurt last year.

"He had enough function to sustain a smaller body," his father, Frank, said. "Now, essentially, he is growing out of his kidneys."

After the transplant, Ryan will need to continue wearing a protective device when he plays baseball. The eighth-grader is hoping to try out for the Plum ninth-grade team next year. He also said he would like to play Colt baseball.

Ryan is happy his mother is helping him keep those possibilities open.

"We were already pretty close," Ryan said. "Going through this experience will bring us together even more. She's encouraged me. We can face this together. To know I'm not going through this alone is a great relief."

Paul Kogut can be reached at pkogut@tribweb.com or 724-226-4689.

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