Jiraiya Johnson loves sports. Like many seven-year-old girls, Jiraiya wants to play soccer, basketball, and gymnastics. But not many girls her age get to play baseball with the St. Louis Cardinals!
On June 1st, Jiraiya will step onto the pitcher’s mound at Busch Stadium and throw out the first pitch in front of a home crowd before the Cardinals take on the Texas Rangers. Throwing the first pitch at the Cardinals game is special for Jiraiya and her family. Jiraiya was born with Sickle Cell disease, a condition with devastating effects on a person’s ability to lead a full, active life.
After her birth in 2019, tests revealed Jiraiya had Sickle Cell Anemia SS, the most common and typically most severe form of Sickle Cell disease. Individuals with this disease often experience symptoms like fatigue, weakness, frequent infections, and sensitivity to heat and cold, which trigger severe pain. In many cases, children with Sickle Cell Anemia SS have extended hospital stays. Despite experiencing some of these symptoms, Jiraiya leads a very active life.