Kennedy Pitcher With 1 Kidney Given District Approval to Play

Cody Beaumaster, the Kennedy High sophomore who created a flap after disclosing during a routine athletics physical that he had only one kidney, will be permitted to play baseball this season.

Beaumaster and his father Robert signed a release form Friday with the L. A. Unified School District that will allow the 6-foot, 165-pound right-hander to compete at the varsity level for the Golden Cougars.

The Beaumasters had met earlier with Dr. Sonia Andonian, the district physician, who noted the possible life-threatening situations the 15-year-old might be facing.

A school nurse also referred to an American Medical Assn. guideline, which high schools generally follow, that an athlete should not be allowed to compete in contact or semi-contact sports if the athlete has a questionable medical history. The school felt that Beaumaster, who lost his left kidney 10 years ago, fell into that category.

“We understand the implications of Cody playing,” Robert Beaumaster said. “We signed two releases that exempt L. A. Unified from all responsibility should something happen to Cody.”

One of the releases states that the school district will not be held responsible for any injury to the kidney. The other ensures that the Beaumasters will not sue the district should the pitcher suffer an injury to the remaining kidney while competing for Kennedy.

“After consulting with Cody’s urologist (Dr. Dudley Danoff), the district officials decided to allow Cody to play, provided we sign the waivers,” the elder Beaumaster said.

Danoff, a physician at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, provided a statement saying that he had examined Beaumaster and felt the youngster would be in no danger while playing baseball.

“I think this is great,” an excited Cody Beaumaster said. “I was worried about everything happening wrong before the meeting with Dr. Andonian, but things turned out just perfect.”

Beaumaster said that he received a lot of support from his teammates.

“Everyone was behind me and now that the whole thing is settled I can do what I should have been doing for the past week . . . playing baseball.”