A tip from a former Mariners Minor Leaguer, some much-needed good fortune and a few encouraging words from her beloved Angel changed everything for Leorianny Leonela Leon Parra.

Leon Parra has gone from hopeless to hopeful in a matter of months, and she wants everyone to know how she got there.

“I was in the depths of depression and very scared,” Leon Parra, 26, said in Spanish. “We didn’t have money for bills. There was no work. We were in an impossible situation, but we got help from B.A.T. They made all of the difference in our lives.”

Created in 1986 by a group of former Major Leaguers, B.A.T. (Baseball Assistance Team) was formed to help members of the baseball family in need of assistance. Throughout the years, the organization has awarded more than 7,000 grants and more than $54 million "to restore health, pride and dignity to members of the Baseball Family."

“B.A.T. is a non-profit organization that confidentially helps members of the Baseball Family in need of financial, medical and psychological assistance,” said Erik Nilsen, B.A.T.'s executive director. “Our goal is to provide a short-term bridge to help our applicants get back to being self-sufficient. We have a number of resources to help the Baseball Family and provide a great safety net for those with nowhere else to turn.”

These days, Leorianny and her boyfriend, Angel Gabriel Peña Soto, 26, a former Minor League pitcher for the Dodgers, are proud parents and optimistic about the future. But that wasn’t always the case.

Not long ago, they were coping with the loss of their newborn, who died three days after birth in 2019 because of a congenital heart defect called Hypoplastic left heart syndrome. The couple was also feeling alone in Panama City, Panama -- hundreds of miles away from their home country of Venezuela.

The pair had moved away from Maracaibo in 2015 to escape the country’s political and economic unrest to start a new life in a safe place. Instead, they found loss, heartbreak and very little work.

Leorianny became pregnant again in early 2020. But her worst fears were confirmed when the fetus was also diagnosed with Hypoplastic left heart syndrome.

That’s when Angel, who played parts of two Minor League seasons starting in 2012, came home from his construction job with life-altering news. He was eventually laid off because of cutbacks related to the coronavirus pandemic.

“One of my co-workers, a guy named Felix that played with the Mariners, knew about our problems and asked me if I ever played baseball because I was from Venezuela and have a muscular build,” Peña said in Spanish. “When I told him that I played for the Dodgers, he told me about an organization that helps former players like me. I didn’t believe it at first, but thank God it was true. There is really a program that helps people like us.”

Angel applied for a B.A.T. grant earlier this summer, and the organization immediately sprang into action. Their assistance allowed the family to afford specialists and a private hospital for their unborn baby. The grant gave the couple the financial flexibility to resume Leorianny’s treatment for depression.

“B.A.T. stepped in to provide help with immigration legal fees, household expenses and most importantly medical expenses,” Nilsen said. “When reviewing applications, the staff, board and consultants always look at ways to help our applicants get back to being self-sufficient."

“We believe with our help, we have put Angel and his family in a good situation to succeed moving forward,” Nilsen continued. “It’s always so rewarding to see the impact of our work, but in this particular situation we helped give this young child a great chance at surviving, which takes it to a completely different level.”

Amalia Marié Peña Leon was born at 8:11 a.m. on Oct. 8. She’s healthy and looks just like her father. Because of B.A.T., the family can afford all of the follow-up visits she’ll need in the future.

“B.A.T. helped us establish our lives as a family,” Leorianny said. “I’m healthy, our baby is healthy, and that’s all we ever wanted.”