First ever child to receive a double-hand transplant wants to play football

It's been just over a year since nine-year-old Zion Harvey received a double-hand transplant. 

The nation's youngest hand transplant patient has been going through extensive rehab to learn how to use his new hands. 

He lost them and his feet to amputation seven years ago after suffering a serious infection, and has leg prosthetics that allow him to walk.

And now he is setting his sights on a new goal: playing football.

'I feel happy about my new hands, and I don't feel different,' he said during a briefing at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia on Tuesday.

'I like now that I can throw a football further than when I didn't have hands.'

It was at that hospital where, in July 2015, he underwent the 10-hour surgery.  

Earlier this month, the suburban Baltimore boy showed off his new abilities by throwing out the first pitch at an Orioles game.

Dr. Scott Levin, team leader of Zion's surgery, said Zion coped with the surgery better than many adults handle simpler procedures.

'I've never seen Zion cry,' Levin said. 

'I've never seen him not want to do his therapy. He's just a remarkable human being, let alone child or adult. He has such courage and determination and gives us all inspiration.'

Zion said his wisdom comes 'from the two most amazing people: my mom, and my grandmom,' warning his mom: 'Don't start tearing up.'

Twenty-eight people in the U.S. have had hand transplants, and 11 had both hands replaced, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing. 

Worldwide, close to 100 people have had hand or arm transplants. 

His mother, Pattie Ray, said it's been a long journey but now she feels like she is living her dream.

'It's his dream, but it's mine, too. I'm just living through him, and I'm just here to support him in any way and help him do whatever it is that he wants to do, if it's a baseball — not a football. Just a baseball.'

Zion told reporters his mom won't let him try out for football, and tried to counter her argument that it's too dangerous by pointing out he'd be playing against little kids, not professionals. 

She told him they would discuss it later.

'My next goal: convince Mom to let me play football,' he said.

Before the operation, Zion used his forearms to write, eat and play video games.

Leg prosthetics also allowed Zion to walk, run and jump along with his peers.

But Zion's mother, Pattie Ray, wanted more for her son.

They looked into getting him prosthetics for his hands as well but, after they were unsatisfied with the prototypes they tried, a doctor suggested that transplants could be an option for Zion.

Ray said the decision to go through with the procedure was completely her son's.

'It was Zion's decision,' Ray told the Baltimore Sun last year. 'If he wanted them we were going to get them. If he didn't, we weren't.'

Zion almost immediately began to instinctively scratch his nose with his new fingers after the operation.

Physicians only hope the milestones, like throwing the first pitch as he did earlier this month, will continue. 

Zion dreams of throwing a football and playing on the monkey bars. 

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