Finding light in the darkness: Local family starts foundation for premature babies

HOUSTON, Texas — High school sweethearts Vincent and Erin Sinisi couldn’t wait to start a family, but things didn’t go as planned when their firstborn daughter, McKenzie, arrived 28 weeks into the pregnancy, weighing only a pound and 4.5 ounces.

Despite the efforts of the doctors at Texas Children’s Hospital, the prematurely born infant did not survive, leaving the Sinisi family heartbroken. Vincent’s sister, Angelica Amaro, said this was the first time she understood the complexities of premature birth, and she knew she wanted to do something to keep McKenzie’s memory alive through helping other families.

The family became active advocates for March of Dimes, a non-profit that raises funds for premature babies. Angelica walked each year in memory of her niece, but she knew she could do more. That’s when Baseball for Babies was created.

“All Erin really wanted to do was be a mom, and they lost McKenzie,” Angelica said. “Not only having to be in the NICU, we were also witnessing the aftermath—the depression that they go through. That’s why we started this. We couldn’t save McKenzie, but we want to save babies. We’re doing it through her memory.”

Vincent is a former Highlander baseball phenom, Rice University athlete and 2003 College World Series Champions member. Angelica knew her brother's athletic career could invite several possibilities for their new fundraising effort. She called Rice’s athletics department and told them she and her family wanted to host a baseball game at Reckling Park to raise money for March of Dimes. They quickly accepted.

A wild success for its first two years, Angelica decided to take it a step further and spearhead an official foundation for Baseball for Babies so that they could directly donate to a NICU facility. In its third year, all proceeds will go to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Texas Children’s Hospital, where McKenzie was born.

Angelica said Vincent and Erin were hesitant to start the event at first, but once they saw the overwhelming support from the community, they knew they were doing the right thing. Their family was the top donor to March of Dimes in Montgomery County and number four in the Houston area.

“A lot of the community knows [Vincent], and people trust people they know,” Angelica said. “Their story is the whole reason I started the whole thing in the first place. I know I couldn’t save McKenzie, but I want to save other babies. I don’t want any other family to go through what we had to go through.”

Baseball for Babies has seen steady growth, and Angelica hopes that it will one day become a nationwide event. Currently, they are working with the Houston Astros to get them involved with the cause.

“There are babies out there that need our help,” Angelica said. “I would have given the world to save McKenzie, and if I couldn’t do that, I want to do it for other babies.”