WHEELING, W.Va. (WTRF) – When you hear the word remarkable, I’m sure many people come to mind. But remarkable doesn’t even begin to cover this woman.

From a full time mother to a child with special needs, to creating and now running a non-profit that helps hundreds of children also live out their dreams just like her son.

She cares for all the children. Of course she loves her son, but she treats all the children as if they are her own.

Diane Schau – Sister

Lorraine McCardle just started out wanting her son to experience the same things other kids do.

Austin was born with a rare genetic disorder that affects communication from the brain to move the muscles.

She knew he would be hearing other children talk about their sports teams at school and she didn’t want him to feel left out.

Just by chance, we were watching the Super Bowl — his father, myself, and him — and one of the players, of course, was called for a bad penalty and Austin looked up at his dad and said ‘Oh daddy, when I play football, I’ll never make that mistake.’ So, you know I could have cried — we all could have cried. I thought, ugh but I thought no I never want my son to think there is something he cannot do.

Lorraine McCardle – Remarkable Women Finalist

Soon after that, she searched on the internet on how to start a special needs sports club.

After looking and looking, she came across the Miracle League and found out there was one in Morgantown.

I contacted schools and I was just wanting to have enough to play a team in Morgantown. We had enough players to play each other. We had that many in the beginning.

Lorraine McCardle – Miracle League of the Ohio Valley

They went there every summer to play one or two games all-the-while showing everyone the need for a field like this in Wheeling.

And after 10 long years of hard work and dedication, the rest is history.

The Miracle League of the Ohio Valley has more then 150 kids with special needs that play in the Ohio Valley. Think about that hundreds of kids living out their dream.

And now it has grown to so much more.

With the YMCA as a sponsor, they get to do even more than baseball. They get special guests like the Wheeling Police Department and the Pittsburgh Pirates to come and teach the kids some things!

They do strength training, they swim, basketball camps, dances.

Diane Schau – Sister

There is so much we are able to do and all you need to do is make it adaptable for these kids. Anything is possible.

Lorraine McCardle – Remarkable Women Finalist

Lorraine will not take no for an answer and that same fight and drive is in her son. Austin has had 4 different surgeries since birth.

Each one challenging, but he battled back, overcoming anything that’s thrown his way.

McCardle says what he has gone through in his short life, others might not go through in their entire lives, which is why she calls him her hero.

This young man right here, with that great smile on his face; what he goes through and that’s the thing. He always has a smile on his face, when you look at pictures of him. He always has a smile.

Lorraine McCardle – Remarkable Women Finalist

McCardle also says she isn’t stopping with another huge project within her reach. She is working now on getting funding to build a play ground.

Tune-in this time next week to meet another of the Ohio Valley’s Remarkable Women.

The winner of the contest will be announced on March 6. The winner will also receive a trip to New York to the Mel Robbins show.

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