Austin Zimmer has made a habit of getting past obstacles - especially if the obstacle is first base.

The Santa Maria 10-year-old was not expected to live past 2 years old because he suffers from neurocutaneous melanosis, a rare congenital disorder. The disorder is characterized by birthmarks on the skin and melanin deposits within the central nervous system, according to the National Cancer Institute.

In spite of his prognosis, he is now a third-grader at Pacific Christian School who earned straight A's last semester and is well-liked by his classmates.

Austin has a hard time walking from the school building to the play yard, so he rides a Razor scooter.

He enjoys playing electric guitar, but baseball is his passion.

He plays with the White Sox in Orcutt American Little League's Farm division. Austin alternates between first base and pitcher, but he says he prefers being the pitcher “'cause it's more fun.”

“Through the power of medicine and the power of prayer, this kid's doing great,” said his mother, Karen Zimmer.

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She said Austin has an abnormal growth of melanotic cells in his spinal cord and brain. An experimental treatment stopped the growth of the cells when he was a baby, she said. About a half dozen children underwent the same treatment as Austin, she added, but all have since died.

Austin has the hand-eye coordination to hit the baseball, Zimmer added, and runs to first base despite his difficulties getting there.

“He has that hand-eye coordination, and he falls a couple of times getting to first base, but he makes it,” Zimmer said. She said he sometimes uses a pinch runner, but on stubborn days he runs all the bases himself.

“It depends on the day, but lately he's been running all of them,” Zimmer said.

Austin's perseverance and positive attitude did not go unnoticed by the Orcutt American Little League Board, who will honor the Little Leaguer at closing ceremonies on June 9 at Joe Nightingale School with an award created just for him: “The Most Inspirational Player of the Year.”

The board also nominated Austin for the “The Little League Good Sport of the Year Award,” a national honor.

“The kid lives and breathes baseball ... he's a very uplifting spirit in the dugout there,” said Mark Smith, player agent and treasurer on the Orcutt American Little League Board.

Smith said Austin does whatever he can on the field, because he has a strong mental drive to overcome the hardships he faces.

It's difficult just to get some players to show up for practice, Smith said, but Austin “lives for baseball.”

“There's no other kid like him,” Smith said.

Mark Zimmer, Austin's assistant coach with the White Sox as well as his uncle, said his nephew is dedicated to the game, and skilled at the sport.

“When the ball is hit to him, or thrown, he'll do whatever he has to do to make that catch. He always comes through and makes incredible plays on defense,” Zimmer said.

“And when he's batting, we can always count on him for a hit.”

Austin is also a hit off the field with his uncle.

“He's just an incredible person ... whenever you're around him, you'll feel his spirit,” Zimmer said.

However, Smith said, the disease has taken a big physical toll on Austin.

“He has trouble even walking, but he'll try to run to first base,” he said.

Karen Zimmer said that Austin's legs are growing weaker. He will soon undergo an operation to relieve the build-up of fluid in his spinal cord, which his mother hopes will make his legs stronger.

The Santa Maria Valley community has invested emotion and money for research into Austin's disorder.

The Zimmers - who include dad Brett Zimmer and older siblings Kayla, 15; Bradley, 13; and Zachary, 12 - started a fundraising campaign called “Angels for Austin” in March 1998, which raised $120,000 to fund a research grant at Yale University.

Donations to help fight disorders such as Austin's may be made to Nevus Outreach Inc. at www.nevus.org, or by telephone at 918-331-0595.

Samantha Yale can be reached

at 739-2159 or syale@santamariatimes.com.

June 4, 2007