CHICAGO (CBS) — Taylor McQuillin has been playing softball since she was 7 years old.
She had already undergone five surgeries to restore her vision and partial hearing loss caused by Duane Syndrome, a rare condition she was born with.
“I'm almost completely blind. I'm legally blind in my left eye,” she says. “I can see shadows, but I have no peripheral vision, so I can only look in this direction. But I think that's because I can see in this direction with my right eye. I never knew what it was like to live with both eyes seeing, so this is my normal.”
What Taylor has accomplished since then is anything but ordinary.
She helped the University of Arizona reach the College World Series in 2019 before being drafted to play in the National Professional Fastpitch League. She was also a member of the Mexican national team.
But before Taylor could pitch for Athletes Unlimited, life threw another obstacle for her: Severe headaches led to multiple doctor visits and a diagnosis of a brain blood clot.
“In total, including the time I was in the hospital, I was unable to do anything for about two months,” she said. “I only had about a month to get back into the bullpen and get ready to play here, which obviously affected my performance. I'm very weak and not used to the different types of medications. Right now, we're not just worried about my vision; I'm worried that I'll have a brain bleed because of the medications I'm taking.”
Taylor continues to take blood thinners to prevent blood clots but continues to push himself to continue playing the sport he loves.
“I thought I probably wouldn't be able to play professionally again because of how tough the season was. I knew I had to fight to get on the Olympic roster and that would probably be my career and the only thing I was thinking at that point was to finish my career to the best of my ability,” she said. “When the doctor said, 'This is your decision,' I said, 'OK, I'll do it.'
Taylor played professionally for Rosemont for the past five summers and calls Chicago his second home.
The impact the California native has on people every time she pitches is truly limitless.
“Learning how to manage yourself and a team together is not easy and it's challenging, so kudos to everyone who has made it and those who haven't made it yet but are going to. It's definitely a process but I feel like I'm in a good mental place. My goal is to inspire kids with disabilities or mild disabilities and make them feel like they can still play sport and be themselves,” she said.
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