A puzzle piece may seem like a strange thing to have tattooed on the back of one's neck, but ask University of Memphis senior softball player Libby Goranson about the meaning behind her ink and you'll hear a story that starts when she was a young girl.
When Goranson's younger brother Ryan was two years old he was diagnosed with autism, a brain disorder that affects how a person interacts with others socially.
According to Autism Speaks, an organization dedicated to raising awareness about the neural disorder, about one in every 88 children in the United States has some degree of autism.
The blue puzzle piece tattooed on Goranson's neck is the logo of Autism Speaks, and it's used to build awareness for the disorder. In an effort to further grow awareness for autism, Goranson worked to make the Tigers' home game against Lipscomb on March 26 the Autism Awareness Game.
"I was thinking about how people do breast cancer awareness games, and walks for life and all that kind of stuff," Goranson, a first baseman, said. "I figured since this is my last year I wanted to do something kind of different and kind of special and something that kind of hits home for me, and so that's where the idea (for the Autism Awareness Game) came from."
When Goranson had the idea for the Autism Awareness Game she went to her coaches with it, then they got into contact with the Autism Society of the Mid-South who assisted with getting everything set up.
"I think that it's pretty great for (Goranson) to want to do something that brings awareness to issues that sometimes we aren't so knowledgeable about and not exposed to, so I was really pleased that she has the drive to have an interest in that and want to give back and make others aware," Memphis head coach Natalie Pool said.
Ryan attends all of the home softball games, and the Memphis players and coaches have all been supportive of him.
Goranson said that it means a lot that everyone is so accepting of Ryan, Poole added that he has a positive impact on their lives as well.
"Really (having Ryan around) just brings a smile to my face specifically," Poole said. "I think that sometimes people might think that he's blessed to be around us, but I would say that I feel blessed to have been able to have been around him."
The Tigers are currently on a five-game slide, and the Autism Awareness Game will be their next chance to turn things around. The game is set for 5 p.m. Wednesday at the Tigers Softball Complex at the U of M Park Avenue campus. The first 150 people at the game will receive glow sticks to be used in a mid-game ceremony.
