Just last season Chesnee pitcher Austin Brown was ending his junior season with an impressive start in the second game of the state baseball series and was looking towards his senior season. When the Eagles ended up falling to Latta in game three of the state series little did Brown know that getting over the loss of that series would be the least of his worries that offseason.
After Brown and his sister Shea came back from a mission trip to Poza Rica, Mexico to minister to children in the area the Brown family decided to take a family vacation but little did they know their world was about to be flipped upside down. "We had a good week at the beach and we came back not knowing what was going to happen the next morning,” said Austin’s father Billy Brown. “I went to bed one night and woke up the next morning and my world was changed.” On August 2nd, 2018 Billy Brown suffered the first of two strokes as he would suffer a second stroke just eight days later. The second stroke which was the most severe caused him to be paralyzed on one side of his body and forced Mr. Brown to attend Roger C Peace rehab center in Greenville. As a family the Browns came together for one another in what was going to be a tough road. "We have always been a close knit family as the four of us are inseparable and we challenged it head on together," said Austin's mother Jennifer Brown. "It wasn't just me taking care of Billy but it was us four working together. Billy had to learn how to walk and he had to learn how to talk." With his father recovering in rehab the stroke wasn’t the only health problem in the Brown family as Austin suffered an injury of his own that robbed him of his senior football season before it ever began. With a tough ending to the 2018 year the Brown family turned their focus to the 2019 year and the goals they had planned for it. One of those goals was accomplished on March 6th when Billy Brown took his place behind the microphone at Dean Jones Field for the Chesnee baseball team’s first home game of the season against Woodruff. " If it wasn't for the strength of Jennifer, Austin, and Shea I wouldn't be here today,” said Billy Brown. “I appreciate them for all they did for me." When talking about making his return to his spot behind the microphone Mr. Brown says that getting to see his son pitching on the mound again and getting to be there to announce it made the work of the rehab worth it all. "It was big the first time I seen him run out on the field to go pitch,” said Mr. Brown. “It showed me that all the work was worth it and just how proud I was of him and that I got to be there to announce his name." The announcers table wasn’t the only place feeling thankful as Austin says that he shared those same feelings as he took to the field for that home game. "It is a blessing from God just for him to be here with us and for him to call my name as I run out onto the field,” said Austin. “I play for him and my family every day." The Brown family has overcome many obstacles this season thanks to faith, family, and baseball and with the playoffs starting up they don’t know where this season will end up but just to be back at the field again they have already been champions. Comments are closed.
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