Zach Thornton’s dad is re-learning how to walk, but he wouldn’t miss son’s MLB debut for Mets originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Zach Thornton’s major league debut was a moment his dad wasn’t going to miss.
That remains true even after a brutal month-plus for the Thornton family and father Paul. When Thornton pitches for the New York Mets on Wednesday, his first time on an MLB mound, Paul will be there.
Paul and his wife, Julie, had to leave Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago, where Paul is re-learning how to walk, according to The Athletic.
They flew out of O’Hare International Airport to head to Washington, D.C., where Zach will pitch against the Nationals.
“To be honest, as a dad, I’m not going to miss this,” Paul told The Athletic.
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What happened to Zach Thornton’s dad Paul?
Complications during spinal surgery caused major issues for Paul.
There was a tumor causing him difficult to walk, and so in early April, he had surgery to move it.
The Athletic described the complication this way:
“Paul’s spine, he said, began to bleed during the operation. He was losing feeling in his lower body. The surgeon, Paul explained, got as much of the tumor out as possible before needing to stop. Within a day or so, Paul was transferred to Shirley Ryan.”
SNY shared this video on social media to add visuals to the journey:
Zach Thornton’s father will be in attendance tonight for his son’s MLB debut
Here is Paul Thornton’s inspiring story ❤️ pic.twitter.com/lnUmT2JzZB
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) May 20, 2026
Paul is a track-and-field coach at the University of Kansas who was a star athlete himself growing up.
Zach credits his competitiveness to his dad.
And on this day, when Zach takes an MLB mound for the first time, he’ll know his father helped him in so many ways to get there, and he’ll also know his dad is right there rooting him on.
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