Madlin Cerny, 14, was Schaumburg High’s first girl baseball player. A sudden brain aneurysm took her life on Monday, just days after she collapsed and fell into a coma.

Known as Cookie to her friends and family, she was in her freshman year of high school at the time of her passing, NBC Chicago reported. The girl who made her mother a better person scripted history, becoming the first girl player on Schaumburg High School’s baseball team. Her teammate and a freshman in the same high school, Gavin Rowley, spoke about her fighting spirit.

“She was always a fighter during practice. She would always go 100% during every rep,” remembered Rowley, per NBC Chicago. “It’s tough coming in as a girl on an all-boys baseball team.”

But Cerny took the challenge to heart and became a trailblazer in her suburban community. The young girl did not limit herself to Schaumburg’s baseball team only, but also played in several boys’ teams across California and Costa Rica. She was talented and hard-working. Perhaps she could have followed the footsteps of Olivia Pichardo. In 2022, Pichardo became the first woman to play on an NCAA Division I men’s college baseball team for Brown University.

Cerny suffered from a brain aneurysm on Friday last week. After falling into a coma, she passed away on Monday. During a game against Bartlett, her high school team wore her jersey number 2 on their hats and shirts to honor her memory.

Fellow pitcher Brewer Bartosik reportedly said, “We want to give her honor and show it to her in the game.”

During the game, a banner reading “Forever a Saxon” was hung on the field’s fence.

Madlin’s former coach, Joseph Pascente, revealed that she was their go-to pitcher if they needed someone to throw strikes.

“I didn’t have to ask her if she was ready,” Pascente told NBC.

She was also deeply dedicated to the sport, always arriving an hour early. Cookie’s love for baseball and work ethic made her stand out.

“She led by example, she pushed the boys to be better,” said James Cerny, her father.

Though her life was tragically cut short, Cookie Cerny’s memory will remain alive in the baseball community. Her jersey number 2 now hangs in Schaumburg’s memory.

While Illinois mourns the passing of its trailblazer, the Toronto Blue Jays were also deeply shocked by the loss of their young superfan.

Toronto Blue Jays lose young superfan to fatal disease

17-year-old superfan Weslee Johnson from Ontario had one wish before his inevitable passing. He wanted to watch a Blue Jays game and meet his favorite stars. Kind fans made the kid’s wish come true.

Weslee got to watch the Blue Jays secure a 7-0 win over the Atlanta Braves in Spring Training after fans funded his trip to Dunedin. He met Davis Schneider, George Springer, Addison Barger, Dalton Varsho, and his idol, Trey Yesavage. He even got an autographed ball.

“I was definitely shocked that I was able to go down to field level for their warm-up and watch their batting practice up close,” said the superfan.

However, just eight weeks after one of the best days of his life, Weslee succumbed to his congenital heart disease.

He was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, a rare condition that blocks the left ventricle of the human heart from developing fully. Though curable through immediate surgeries, it is mostly fatal among children and adolescents. In Weslee’s case, the doctors determined that his body would be unable to undergo a successful heart transplant.

According to Sportsnet’s Jamie Campbell, Weslee passed away in the morning of May 8.

While his life was cut tragically short, Weslee packed an incredible amount of joy into his 17 years—and the Blue Jays community made sure his final inning was unforgettable.