Toronto Blue Jays fan Logan Dorna has his eye on the ALCS prize – literally.
The eight-year-old Richmond Hill resident, who lost his left eye to retinoblastoma when he was just eight-months-old, has been watching his favourite MLB team chase glory in the playoffs and recently got a specialized prosthetic glass eye that looks like a Blue Jays baseball.
“When we went to get his new eye for this year, we asked our ocularist (Matthew Milne) if he could have a fun eye, something that can make him feel good about himself, more motivated and he really wanted one,” says mom Taline Dorna, a school teacher.
Logan’s mother also wrote and self-published a 2021 children’s story book calledThe Extraordinary Eye.His father is a software developer.
Turns out Logan is not only a major Blue Jays fan but also has been playing the game as an outfielder for the Cardinals out of the Richmond Hill Phoenix Baseball Club.
“And we thought, ‘You know what? It’s something that he can wear for good luck at his baseball games,” said Taline.
“And even during the playoffs with the Jays. So we had it made and he picked it up on Friday and he was so excited about this and it made him feel really special wearing it as well. Maybe it’ll bring some extra luck to the Jays. He’s watching the games. We watch as a family, especially my dad, he’s a big fan. We try to go to my parents and he’ll watch it with my dad. My parents are in Scarborough.”
All of Logan’s treatment and care was done at SickKids hospital in Toronto. His real eye colour is brown.
“He receives a new eye every two years,” said Taline. “Every two years until about 18 and then (he) starts to receive a new eye every eight to 10 years.”
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Logan’s glass eye looks literally like a baseball with the Blue Jays logo at the very top, so it’s kind of hidden under his eyelid.
“It was really good timing (given the playoffs),” Taline said.
The Blue Jays take on the Seattle Mariners in a must-win ALCS Game 6 on Sunday night.
To be clear, Logan also has a matching prosthetic glass eye that he wears most of the time. The Blue Jays logo fun eye is for special occasions.
“He has another eye that looks like a real eye,” said Taline. “But this one looks like a fun eye, so even the iris itself is gold. It’s very dramatic.“
“He would like to wear it every day and we would totally encourage whatever he wants. He really does feel comfortable about it because he really does feel like it’s a talking point with people. Like he actually will start talking about it which is really great. This is what we wanted,” she explained.
“We don’t want to hide this and create any kind of social stigma about it. And he’s a patient ambassador for SickKids. We just want to continue encouraging him and making him feel good about his difference – that his difference is a strength.”
