Jackson 13-year-old named co-chair of Homers for Health

Jackson's Jimmy Williams, champion junior golfer and heart transplant recipient, has been named the 2022 Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital's Homers for Health co-chair.

Jimmy has been an avid golfer since he first began playing with his dad at the age of 2. As Jimmy grew over the years, his golfing skills continued to improve and he would go on to win multiple golf tournaments. However, in August 2019, Jimmy was at the Junior World Golf Championships when he began having severe stomach pains. His parents, Jim and Shana, took him to Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital in St. Louis. After monitoring Jimmy's health, doctors discovered the issue was not his stomach, but his heart. The vital organ pumping life into Jimmy was only performing at 17%. A heart transplant was the only option for the Williams family.

Jimmy was placed high on the transplant list, but would still have to wait until December that year before a viable heart would become available. Jim Williams said the wait was a difficult time for the family, but Jimmy remained brave.

"Serious illnesses are all a little different; Jimmy's was so sudden. We went to the hospital thinking it was his stomach or eating habits and then within a few hours, we're in the intensive care unit," Jim said. "Then, within 24 to 48 hours, he deteriorated so fast and then we just stayed on that level. Just excruciating scenes for two, three, four weeks and months on a heart transplant list. The whole journey was a really intense ordeal. ... You're praying for something to save your son's life, but it's another family's tragedy that will save him, so it's hard to pray for that."

Now 13 and healthy, Jimmy continues to golf and give back to the children who have not made it out of Cardinal Glennon yet. For his 13th birthday, Jimmy donated more than 600 toys to the hospital to help the kids get through a difficult time while being treated for illnesses.

The Homers for Health program was created by ex-Cardinals player Matt Holliday and his wife, Leslie, in 2012. The organization has raised more than $5 million since its founding to maintain and improve Cardinal Glennon's technology and services for children who need treatment at their facilities.

In previous years, donors to Homers for Health were able to pledge a certain amount per homerun hit during the Cardinal's baseball season starting at 25 cents or make a one-time donation. Because of the lockout and shortened 2022 baseball season this year and last year, the organization is asking donors to pledge an amount for 195 homeruns. According to the Cardinal Glennon website, the foundation decided on 195 because it is the number of beds in the hospital and Jimmy suggested they stick with 195 again this year.

To donate to the Homers for Health Foundation visit their website at www.glennon.org.

Jimmy had a few choice words about the Cardinals' 2022 baseball season.

"Go Cardinals and end this lockout! I wanna to see (Harrison) Bader make some cool catches in center field!" Jimmy said