Published: November 27, 2024
College Baseball Player Trusted God’s Plan After Leg Amputation
By Movieguide® Contributor
Parker Byrda baseball player at East Carolina University, trusted that God had a plan for him even after having his leg amputated.
In 2022, the summer after he graduated from high school, Byrd was injured in a boating accident, which eventually required amputation of his right leg below the knee, Sporting News reported.
But through it all, he leaned on God and improbably returned to baseball in February.
“On Friday, Feb. 16, Byrd made the improbable comeback. In the bottom of the eighth, Byrd walked to the plate, pinch-hitting for designated hitter Chaz Myers,” Sporting News said. “In doing so, he became the first player in NCAA Division I history to take an at-bat with a prosthetic leg.”
“I honestly didn’t really want to sit there and just continue to grieve because, I mean, we had to do it, and I know of told my dad after those 15 minutes, I was like, ‘Hey. Let’s amputate and let’s keep living, man,’” Byrd told Sports Spectrum of his mindset. “It’s bigger than just a leg. I was like if baseball is not meant to be, [it’s] not meant to be. God has a bigger plan for me, and as I’m living it out now, man, obviously, baseball is stealing the picture.”
Despite the struggle that comes with such a major life change, he sees God working through it.
“But, I mean, beforehand, I was just [going to be] another shortstop here at East Carolina,” he continued, “but now I get to use my platform in such a bigger level and continue to share His light and show people that even though that tragedy hits your life, that there’s still hope and that God still has a plan for you.”
“And even though you may be going through the mud like I was whenever they had to tell me they had to amputate my leg, it’s kind of hard to see that God has a plan for you in that time. But Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that His plan is to prosper us and give us hope and a future. So, I continued to rely on those verses like that and continue to live out His word.”
Byrd uses his social media as one way to share God’s love. In a post from Nov. 3, the athlete shared several photos of him on the field, citing Psalm 28:7 in the caption: “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.”
READ MORE: WHY THIS PRO BASEBALL PLAYER FOLLOWED GOD’S CALL TO START A MINISTRY
