For most competitive softball players, your early teenage years are spent imagining. Daydreams filled with visions of winning state, hitting the game-winning homer, or signing your National Letter of Intent. At least, I know mine were.

"Where do I want to go to school?" "Which coaches are looking at me?" "How can I make myself stand out?" I was determined to find those "little things" that would help separate me from other players my age. Whether it was my grades, my attitude, or my drop ball, I was constantly on the lookout for that elusive "it factor" that would make college coaches take notice.

Mekayla Frazier was dreaming. An infielder from Miami, Florida, Mekayla plays for the Gold Coast Hurricanes. She attends Gulliver Prep and is a member of both the varsity softball and soccer teams. With her graduation year of 2020 approaching, she's in the middle of that wonderful, confusing, exciting, nerve-racking time we has-beens like to call "when I was getting recruited."

But what separates "Mickey", as her family calls her, from other players her age has nothing to do with her athletic or academic ability. It comes from her outlook on life and evident appreciation for the game of softball -- a game that, eight years ago, she and her family never dreamed she would get the chance to play.

At the age of six, Mekayla contracted bacterial pneumonia -- a diagnosis that sent her to ICU with very little hope of recovery.

"I still remember what day it was," said Mekayla's mother, Kelly. "It was a Wednesday. We picked her up from school and her teacher told us that Mickey was 'a little off today'. So I took her to the pediatrician. They said it was some form of a stomach bug and sent us home."

But later that night, Mekayla began experiencing severe stomach and back pains. So, Kelly decided to take her to the ER.

"The doctor came to us and said, 'We need to talk'," said Kelly. "He escorted us to this private little room. And I remember in that moment thinking, 'This can't be good.' I remember not even wanting to go in. And then all of a sudden, he said, 'Your daughter is incredibly sick'."

For the next two months, Mekayla and her family fought what her mother described as a "losing battle". A rotating door of specialists and medications were tried, but nothing seemed to work.

Bacterial pneumonia is a serious diagnosis, even for adults. But six-year-old Mekayla's case was even more severe. She had also contracted pleural effusion, causing her body to become septic. As a result, her kidneys, liver, and lungs quickly began to fail. "I didn't know if we would take her home," said Kelly.

An unfortunate side effect of the treatments was the collapse of Mekayla's veins, which forced doctors and nurses to constantly re-administer her IV. Kelly expected her baby, who was supposedly terrified of needles, to have a difficult time. But Mekayla was, quite frankly, too sick to fight back.  

"At first, she didn't even have a reaction. She was too weak. And that was so unlike her. Her fight was gone, and that was so discouraging to us as parents," Kelly said.

"I didn't really know the full extent of what was going on," said Mekayla.

I was so young, I didn't know how sick I really was.

But, after several weeks, Mickey seemed to slowly regain her fight. And she showed it in an array of ways. Now, instead of calmly allowing nurses to stick her with needle after needle, she began to resist -- resisting to the point of the staff having to strap her to the hospital bed.

"To most parents, that sounds like a nightmare…especially when she would cry for us to save her." said Kelly. "But to us, it was a win. She was fighting back for the first time in a long time."

After almost seven grueling weeks in Baptist Children's Hospital's Intensive Care Unit, Mekayla's condition began to improve drastically. So much so, that the Frazier family was moved out of ICU and into the "step-down unit" of the children's wing. And that's where she met Laurie.

Laurie Sargent is the Senior Child Life Specialist at Baptist Children's Hospital. Mekayla recalls her time with Laurie with a smile. "Mrs. Laurie is one of the best human beings I've ever met in my life," said Mekayla. "I'm so happy to have met her."

One of Laurie's many duties involves running the children's playroom, an area filled with toys and games to help each child escape from the hardships of their illness.

"Laurie was with us every step of the way," said Kelly. "All of the kids she was in charge of were and are so very sick. So, lots of times, the toys she gives them to play with can't be taken back because of bacteria. She works tirelessly to try and replenish this playroom and get to know the families."

"I would look forward to my playtime each day," Mekayla said. "It helped motivate me. And a game or toy might be something so little, but when you're sick and in the hospital, those little things get you through the day."

Those little things stuck with Mekayla, even when she was out of the hospital. And that's when she got an idea; an idea that came to her on her birthday…almost a year to the day she first went to Baptist Children's Hospital.

"The next year, when her birthday was coming around, we were planning a big celebration for her," said Laurie. She said, 'Mom, I have a bunch of stuff. I don't need anything else'."

Instead, Mekayla decided to bring her presents to the children at Baptist Hospital. Mekayla recalls: "I looked back and thought, 'these people treated me so well. I have to think of some way to give back'."

Every year on her birthday, Mekayla asks for toys and games in lieu of presents for herself. Such a display of gratitude and selflessness is often not seen even in adults. Mekayla's parents are still, almost ten years later, in awe of her giving spirit.

"We all took something away from the experience," Kelly said. "As a family, we don't complain as much. We are much more grateful than we used to be. But for MeKayla, it has given her an appreciation for life that none of us will understand."

That appreciation has translated into every aspect of Mekayla's life… even onto the softball field. A few hundred board games and stuffed animals may be a far cry from drag bunt technique or OBP. But they still set her apart from other prospects across the country. She steps onto the field everyday truly appreciating the opportunity she gets to play the game of softball; because, at one time, she didn't think she would ever be able to.

I had to go through so many things inside that hospital. But now, I really appreciate the big picture. I can't even express how good it feels just to be able to play the sport I love. I'm so grateful.

If you're looking for a top-notch student, Mekayla's your girl. If you're looking for a standout infielder, that's her too. But what sets her apart from other prospects might not be something you'll find in the classroom or on a field.

It's in a playroom at Baptist Children's Hospital.

Follow Kati Morse on Twitter @MorseCodeRed & Instagram