Manny Davila photo gallery

-Manny Davila

Click on the images to view larger versions.
	River Ridge senior Manny Davila lost the sight in his right eye when a foul-tipped baseball hit the 19-year-old in the face. With strong support of family and friends, he is now back practicing with the team and hopes to play before the end of the season. "I know I'm ready to play now," Davila said. (Tony Overman /The Olympian)		Manny Davila sits in his bedroom on April 1 while recovering from being hit in the eye with a baseball during River Ridge's second game of the season. The walls and ceiling of the 19-year-old's bedroom are decorated with his old baseball jerseys. (Tony Overman /The Olympian)
	Manny's sister, Yuliza, moved a bed into her brother's room to care for him through the night, including cleaning and medicating the damaged eye. "He would dream he was playing baseball again," she said, sometimes waking up startled as if the ball were about to hit him again. (Tony Overman /The Olympian)		Manny's damaged eye needs medicinal drops and cream four times a day. The foul-tipped baseball that injured Manny missed hitting bone and slammed the eye ball back into the socket. (Tony Overman /The Olympian)
	Pastor Miguel Mendoza offers prayer and healing during church services prior to eye repair surgery in early April. (Tony Overman /The Olympian)		Manny Davila collapses into his father's arms as pastors at the Iglesia Hermanos Unidos En Cristo church offer a prayer and healing the day before Manny's surgery to learn if his eye can be repaired. (Tony Overman /The Olympian)
	Pastor Miguel Mendoza stands over Manny Davila as he lies on the floor of the Iglesia Hermanos Unidos En Cristo church in Olympia as members pray for his recovery from the baseball injury that caused Manny to lose vision in his right eye. Seated at right are Manny's brother, Andreas, 16, and sister Yuliza, 21. (Tony Overman /The Olympian)		Manny Davila is flanked by friends Rosendo Penoloza (left) and Socorro Madriz as they pray in church the day before eye surgery to attempt to repair Manny's damaged right eye. (Tony Overman /The Olympian)
	Manny Davila stands quietly with his sister, Yuliza, as they pray at church prior to eye surgery to attempt to repair Manny's damaged right eye. (Tony Overman /The Olympian)		Manny stands quietly with his mother, Mariluz Davila, at church prior to eye surgery to attempt to repair Manny's damaged right eye. (Tony Overman /The Olympian)
	Dr. Robert Nash (left) performs surgery on Manny's right eye at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle on April 2. The surgery uncovered the full extent of the damage to Manny's cornea, which the surgeon determined could not be repaired. Assisting are surgical technologist Carol Mauck (back left) and anesthesiologist Dr. Todd Strumwasser. (Tony Overman /The Olympian)		Eye surgeon Robert Nash (left) and Manny's parents, Julio and Mariluz Davila, comfort Manny after eye surgery was unable to repair the damage to the 19-year-old's right eye. (Tony Overman /The Olympian)
	Manny's parents, Julio and Mariluz Davila, comfort their son on April 2 as they break the news to him that his eye surgeon has determined Manny's cornea is too severly damaged and the 19-year-old will never regain sight in his right eye. (Tony Overman /The Olympian)		Yuliza Davila holds a flashlight in front of her brother's eye to check if he can see any light, a ritual they started right after Manny was hit by a baseball. "I see only darkness," Manny said. (Tony Overman /The Olympian)
	Manny Davila talks with his father, Julio, at their Olympia home in early April. "This is a very dangerous time for Manny," said Julio, a pastor at his church in Olympia. "When he is feeling down, we are there for him." (Tony Overman /The Olympian)		Within days of learning his eyesight would never return in his damaged eye, Manny bought a protective helmet and began throwing, fielding and hitting the ball again. "I'm not afraid of the ball anymore," Manny said. (Tony Overman /The Olympian)
	Julio Davila watches his son, Manny, as he practices hitting at the batting cages in Centralia. The two travelled to Centralia and Auburn on the weekends so Manny could get used to hitting the ball again. (Tony Overman /The Olympian)		Manny Davila pounds out hit after hit while rehabilitating at batting cages in Centralia on April 14. Within days of learning he would never regain sight in his damaged right eye, Davila bought a batting helmet with protective face mask and began throwing and hitting again. "The first time hitting, I was scared, " Manny said. "Now, I'm not afraid of the ball anymore." (Tony Overman /The Olympian)
	Manny Davila sprints to second base during running drills on his first day back at practice April 16. Davila arrived late after receiving his daily eye medicine, mingling in with the players, most who didn't know Manny was returning. "Hey! Hey! Manny's back," teammate Nathaniel Jackson shouted from across the field. (Tony Overman /The Olympian)		Manny Davila bounces up after tangling with shortstop Bo Oeltjen and taking a tumble on his first day back with the Hawks baseball team on April 16. Oeltjen immediately rushed over and gave Davila a bear hug. "Bo's one of the main reasons I'm back out here," Manny said. "Bo and my girlfriend convinced me this is where I belong." (Tony Overman /The Olympian)
	River Ridge teammates welcome Manny back to practice after a month away from the team. Shortstop Bo Oeltjen (right) gives Manny a hug after the two tangled at second base during a running drill. (Tony Overman /The Olympian)		After a month away from the team, Manny surprised many when he returned to practice on April 16. Although he hasn't played in a game yet, Manny feels he's ready. (Tony Overman /The Olympian)
	Manny Davila waits inside the dugout as River Ridge head coach Chad Arko passes by during Monday's home game against Black Hills. He doesn't get to play in the game. "I know I'm ready to play right now," Manny said. "But I respect my coach's decision of when to let me play, so it's up to him." (Tony Overman /The Olympian)		Manny watches from inside the dugout as his teammates take the field for a home game against Black Hills on Monday. Manny doesn't get to play, but holds out hope of playing before the end of the season. (Tony Overman /The Olympian)
	Manny Davila faces a long road to recovery, but support from family, friends and church have helped him deal with the loss of vision in his right eye. (Tony Overman /The Olympian)		Manny Davila dons his helmet and waits in the dugout Wednesday after coach Chad Arko told him he would be hitting to lead off the sixth inning. (Tony Overman /The Olympian)
	Manny Davila connects with the ball Wednesday in his first at-bat since losing sight in his right eye. Manny received a standing ovation from many in the crowd when he came out to lead off the sixth inning. He grounded out to the Timberline third baseman. "I was so scared. I kept saying 'Don't get hit. Don't get hit,' " he said. (Tony Overman /The Olympian)		Manny Davila walks away from the River Ridge baseball field with his father, Julio, following the 19-year-old's return to the Hawks varsity on Wednesday, a feat many thought impossible. "I can't believe it," Manny said at home Wednesday night. "I did it." (Tony Overman /The Olympian)
Tony Overman	Click here for photographer Tony Overman's biography.	Gail Wood	Stories by Gail Wood: An athlete's Vision Back in the game Click here for Gail Wood's biography.