Former MLB All-Star John Olerud‘s daughter Jordan passed away on Sunday after facing a rare chromosome disorder. She was 19 years old. Following the news surfacing on social media, one of Olerud’s former teams from his 17-year career has reached out.
“The New York Yankees send their deepest condolences to John Olerud and his family following the passing of his daughter Jordan,” the team said in a Twitter statement.
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Olerud spent the 2004 season with the Yankees, appearing in 49 games. The New York-based franchise reached the playoffs following the season and faced off with the Minnesota Twins during the 2004 American League Division Series. Olerud and the Yankees won the series 3-1, moving on to the American League Championship Series. They ultimately lost to the eventual World Series champion Boston Red Sox.
The New York Yankees were not the only team to reach out in the wake of Jordan’s death. The Toronto Blue Jays, the team with which Olerud won two World Series, also posted a message on social media. The Blue Jays also directed fans to Olerud’s foundation, the Jordan Fund.
“Our hearts go out to John and Kelly Olerud on the passing of their daughter Jordan. They are in our thoughts at this difficult time,” the Blue Jays said in a statement. “If you would like to make a donation, please go to JordanFund.org.”
Jordan, the middle child of the Olerud family, was born in August 2000 with a unique chromosome syndrome called tri-some 2p, 5p-, which means that she had an extra second chromosome and was missing part of her fifth chromosome. Jordan also made frequent visits to doctors and hospitals throughout her life.
“It definitely makes it difficult to play baseball,” Olerud told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer in 2002. “What happened with Jordan was a lot of work. The last month of the 2000 season was the hardest. The team was in a pennant race, and Kelly had her hands full when I wasn’t around.”
Olerud was with the Seattle Mariners at the time of this interview. Juggling his career and caring for his family was not a simple task, but he did explain to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer that it was made easier due to living close to their doctors in Seattle.
According to Jay Horwitz, vice president of alumni public relations for the New York Mets, the funeral for Jordan will take place on Saturday.
(Photo Credit: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
