When Oceanside residents Brian and Dena Driscoll took their son Liam to a Savannah Bananas baseball game on Aug. 2 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, they watched him light up — clapping and swaying to the music and dazzled by the lights and scoreboard.
The simple joy of being in the middle of a loud, playful crowd is the driving motivation behind the family building a Miracle League–style, fully accessible baseball field on Long Island so children of all abilities can play, not just watch.
Miracle League Baseball is a national baseball program that provides children and adults with physical or cognitive disabilities the opportunity to play baseball in a fun, inclusive environment. The league uses specially designed, rubberized turf fields to eliminate barriers for players with wheelchairs and walkers.
Liam, now 9, was born with tetralogy of Fallot, a rare condition caused by a combination of four heart defects that are present at birth, causing oxygen-poor blood to flow out of the heart and into the rest of the body.
Liam underwent open-heart surgery at 3 months old. Over the years, he has faced permanent hearing loss that requires hearing aids, severe feeding problems that led to a “failure to thrive” diagnosis and placement of a G-tube, and a Nissen fundoplication, a surgical procedure used to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease, a condition where stomach acid flows back up into the esophagus, causing heartburn and other symptoms.
After extensive genetic testing, doctors diagnosed Liam with ATR-X (Alpha-Thalassemia Mental Retardation X-linked) syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that affects development, muscle tone, feeding and vision. Liam is nonverbal and cannot walk or sit up unassisted, but his parents explained that he is full of light and music — and happiest at events that hum with energy. The idea first began unexpectedly when Brian, active on TikTok, connected with a network of first responders and community advocates across the country. One of those new friends, from Michigan, invited him to a fundraiser at a Miracle League field.
“When Brian got there, he FaceTimed me immediately,” Dena recalled. “He said, ‘We have to do this here. Liam could be on a baseball team. We could bring families like ours together.’ He was showing me everything, saying how amazing it was.”
That visit planted a seed. Over time, Brian developed a proposal and brought it to local leaders, including Town of Hempstead Councilwoman Laura Ryder, who was among the first to express support for exploring the project.
“He came home from Michigan saying, ‘This is what we need to do,’” Dena said. “It’s been in his back pocket for a while, but the more he thought about it, the more determined he became to make it happen.”
The quest for such a facility has spawned Liam’s Legacy Athletic Association early this year, receiving state approval for 501(c)(3) nonprofit status earlier this year which aims to build an accessible mini-stadium on the South Shore, where children with disabilities can play baseball, enjoy movie nights, splash in an accessible pad and experience community events created with sensory and mobility needs in mind.
Modeled around the concept of Miracle League fields, which are found nationwide, the Driscolls’ version will include a rubberized, trip-free turf surface accessible to users of wheelchairs and walkers; a full DJ and audiovisual setup to recreate the high-energy, celebratory atmosphere of Banana Ball; a large outfield screen for movies and special events; a pavilion for families. Banana Ball is a variation of baseball created by the Savannah Bananas, an exhibition baseball team, that emphasizes speed, entertainment, and fan interaction. Oceanside Fire Commissioner Mike Graham, who knows Brian Driscoll through local events, joined the effort as a member of the organizing committee
“Many children with special needs don’t get the chance to play the everyday game the way other kids do,” Graham said. “This will make them feel like they belong to the baseball community. It’s something personal to me. I hope my son can play on that field one day.”
The project is still in its very early stages, with no formal town meetings on tap to secure a site or permits.
“It’s not just a field — it’s going to be a place where families can come together,” Dena said. “We want it to look and feel like a real stadium experience, with sponsorship boards, music, and energy. Something special.”
Discussions with the Town of Hempstead have included potential use of an open site in Baldwin Park, though no formal plans or approvals have yet been finalized.
“There’s a field there that can be shaped into anything we want it to be,” Dena said. “And there’s already a playground nearby that we’d love to make accessible too.”
The estimated cost of construction: between $2 and $3 million. A major early boost to raise money has come from Restoration Kitchen & Cocktails in Lindenhurst, which selected Liam’s Legacy for a three- to four-month campaign starting in late September, with proceeds helping fund the field’s early development and awareness outreach.
“This will probably be our first larger donation,” Dena said. “But once we get official approval from the politicians, we’re going to start serious fundraising to make this a reality.”
The Driscolls hope to break ground within the next three to five years — possibly sooner if political support and donor funding accelerate.
“I think once it really hits and people see what we’re doing, it could go faster than we think,” Dena said.
For families like the Driscolls, the project is about more than baseball, providing children with disabilities with a sense of belonging while ensuring that they could enjoy the shared experiences other children take for granted.
“He’s happiest when he’s surrounded by energy, music, lights and excitement,” Brian Driscoll said of Liam. “I want a place where kids like him can play, dance and feel like a star — not just as spectators, but as players.”
Those who want to support can visit LiamsLegacyAthletics.org.
