Leaving An Impact
December 14, 2022 | Softball, Joel Coleman
Emmalyn Hudson becomes a brand-new Bulldog.
STARKVILLE – Emmalyn Hudson is now wrapped in Maroon and White as the latest addition to the Mississippi State softball program.
Hudson, a talented 12-year-old with loads of personality, joined the Bulldogs in late November and seems to claim versatility as her greatest strength.
At her signing day press conference, Hudson was asked what position she thought she'd excel at in Starkville.
"Hmmm," Hudson said, pondering her options before settling on the answer. "All of them!"
And as for her emotions on becoming a Bulldog?
"It's four thumbs up," Hudson said excitedly.
Emmy's Story
Hudson, known as Emmy by those closest to her, became a part of the MSU program via Team IMPACT. The organization matches children facing serious illness and disability with college sports teams and creates a long-term, life-changing experience for everyone involved.
Emmy deals with Glutaric Aciduria Acidemia Type 1, or GA1. According to MedlinePlus, GA1 is a rare condition that causes the body to not be able to process certain amino acids. Typically, when foods like meat or fish are eaten, its proteins are broken down into amino acids the body can use and any amino acids that aren't needed are removed.
For those with GA1, being unable to process some amino acids properly leads to an abnormal buildup of particular acids known as organic acids. Abnormal levels of these acids can lead to multiple severe health issues.
Emmy was diagnosed with GA1 six days after birth. Here's how her mother, Shannah Hudson, tells Emmy's story:
"We found out by the newborn screening that's done to all newborns. It was the heel stick that all babies go through and most of the time, you never even know your child had the heel stick. They do the heel stick and send off for tests and rarely get a positive result, but we were the ones that got the phone call a few days after she was born, and they told us she was positive for a very serious metabolic disorder. We took her to the hospital immediately and started treatments and emergency protocol at that point so we could keep her as healthy as possible from that point on. Thankfully, we found it early. I'm personally a newborn screening advocate for that very reason. I know the benefit of that test and how it saved her life because they told me that if we had not received that call, or even if we'd found out 24 hours later, she wouldn't be here today because her body was so sick. But yet, it was internally. We didn't know it. We just thought she was a newborn, but she likely would not have woken up the following day if we hadn't gotten her to the hospital when we did."
The first few years after Emmy's diagnosis were critical as her brain developed. So, during the first three years of Emmy's life, she was typically kept at home and isolated from going anywhere except to frequent treatments in order to keep her from illness.
Now older, things are a bit easier for Emmy. She's able to better deal with any sickness that comes, though she is homeschooled in order to remain in a controlled environment. Emmy maintains her health using a special metabolic medical formula. It's specifically designed for her with the proteins her body can't process removed. It's a lifelong treatment.
Emmy also takes several necessary supplements and medicines daily, and there's an emergency treatment protocol so that any time Emmy does gets sick, she can receive the proper care for someone with her condition.
It's a lot, but overall, Emmy is doing great.
"Her doctors say she is the best-case scenario for her disorder," Shannah said. "Despite having a few underlying issues with learning disabilities and things like that, she is thriving and doing wonderful."
There's another component to Emmy's condition. It's autosomal recessive, meaning that any possible siblings could have GA1 as well. Thus, Shannah and her husband Rob decided to only have Emmy and dedicate all time and energy to caring for their only child.
Recently though, Emmy got herself a bunch of new sisters all at once. A couple of years ago, Shannah applied with Team Impact and Emmy was accepted. The COVID-19 pandemic put everything on hold, but in late summer of this year, a connection was made.
A Maroon Match
State softball head coach Samantha Ricketts was first made aware of the chance to join forces with Team IMPACT after reading an email from MSU assistant director of student-athlete development, Sarah Baron.
Soon, the Bulldogs were all in.
"I knew there was only good that could come from it," Ricketts said.
Not long after, Ricketts and the softball team welcomed Emmy out to practice and invited her to go with them to an MSU volleyball game. Emmy has been a Bulldog ever since, and she had a ceremonial signing with State on Nov. 16 to cement it.
Prior to any of this though, Ricketts and her team prepared to make everything as fantastic of an experience for Emmy as possible.
"Part of the process of working with Team IMPACT is that each child and team is assigned a case manager and they help us form a committee to help Emmy," Ricketts said. "Throwing a 12-year-old into a group of 25 college kids could be a little overwhelming. So, we started off with a small group and did a zoom with them. They got to know a little bit more about [Emmy] and about her disorder and what she's been fighting. We started with some get-to-know-you videos so [Emmy] could see the girls, hear a little about them and their interests, then we brought her out to practice. I think because of all that, she was a little more comfortable."
The Bulldogs did all they could to make their new teammate feel at home, but from the jump, it really appeared Emmy didn't need too much help.
"She absolutely loved it," Shannah – an MSU alum herself – said of her daughter's first practice experience.
Added Ricketts: "From the first day, for being so young and homeschooled and being on her own a little more than some 12-year-olds would be, she was just such a happy, go-lucky kid. She's so outgoing and talkative and just a really bright spot. That first day, she jumped right in with the team. They were warming up in the outfield, and next thing I know she's making them all do push-ups for her. She's an upbeat, spunky kid with a great personality. I think she really fit right in, and we've got a great group of girls that act like kids themselves sometimes, too. They've had a really good time with her, and they just enjoy her light and the joy she brings around anytime she's with us."
More Than A Game
The relationship between Emmy and the Bulldogs is certainly mutually beneficial. Emmy gets to enjoy a whole new set of friends and the excitement of being a part of the MSU program. Meanwhile the Dawgs themselves have a constant reminder of how softball is so much more than a game.
That perspective isn't new for Ricketts' team. It was just over four years ago when State softball player Alex Wilcox passed away at the age of 18 following a courageous battle with ovarian cancer. While MSU's roster has changed a great deal since 2018, the impact of the life of Wilcox is still very much a part of the fabric of Bulldog softball.
"Alex was always so joyful because softball wasn't something she had to do. It was something she got to do," Ricketts said.
The situations are much different, but Emmy provides a similar inspiration as Wilcox.
"Having [Emmy] around is a blessing," Ricketts said. "It's someone who really has that light for life and just enjoys the opportunities she gets no matter what obstacles she may be facing. Having that example coming from [Emmy] or our stories of Alex, that's something we want to continue to put at the forefront of this program and something that helps keep us grounded and helps us see it is just a game. It's not something to define us by."
That said, when there's competition, everyone wants to win. You better believe that includes Emmy, too.
When prodded to give her new teammates some advice for the 2023 season to come, she was quick to look them in the eyes and deliver a short-and-sweet bit of instruction.
"Do good," Emmy said emphatically to her team at her signing day.
MSU can't help but succeed. Because no matter what the scoreboards end up reading in the spring, Emmy and the Bulldogs are sure to all be winners as they embrace and lift each other up.