COLUMBIA (WACH) - The Braves Caravan rolled into town Tuesday afternoon and made a stop at Palmetto Health Children's Hospital to hand out autographed ball caps and smiles.
"I was sitting here and oh wow! The Braves are coming," says 12-year-old Forrest Burkett. "It's awesome, really great."
Burkett got a visit from new Atlanta Skipper Fredi Gonzalez and a handful of his players. The crew brightened the spirits of Forrest and other children like him.
"Sometimes, we take this game of ours a little too serious," Gonzalez says. "We lose three or four in a row, we have a bad game. When we get a smile out of these kids, that's big, it leaves a big impression."
It left a big impression on Burkett, who finally got to meet the big leaguers he's grown up watching.
"This is truly a blessing. I really appreciate all they have done for me. They're a great baseball team."
Burkett hopes to follow his Braves idols into the big leagues one day.
"I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, but I'm still playing, I'm trying out for baseball. That's my my dream, that's not going to stop me."