Zach Thornton made his major league debut with the New York Mets on Wednesday against the Washington Nationals, a moment made particularly special by the presence of his father, Paul Thornton. Paul, who is recovering from spinal surgery that left him paralyzed from the waist down, managed to attend the game after traveling from Chicago, where he has been undergoing rehabilitation. Despite the Mets suffering an 8-4 loss, Zach pitched 4 1/3 innings, allowing four earned runs and striking out three batters. His father praised him for settling in well after a shaky start, where he allowed a three-run homer to CJ Abrams in the first inning. Paul described the experience of flying and navigating the stadium in a wheelchair as a learning curve, but he was determined to support his son. Zach expressed how meaningful it was to see his father at the game, calling it 'super special.' After the game, Paul conveyed his love to Zach and shared his hopes of walking again in the near future.