MIDDLEBORO — Thanks to Red Sox Hall of Famer David Ortiz, Dominic Driscoll will be throwing out the first pitch at an upcoming Red Sox game at Fenway Park.

The 14-year-old Middleboro resident was given that dream opportunity from Ortiz through the Make a Wish Foundation, which grants life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses.

Dominic was born with life-threatening heart issues and has undergone three open heart surgeries in his young life.

Ortiz, who Dominic described as “one of the greatest players of all time,’’ explained that his day at Fenway, which is not yet scheduled, will include a tour of the clubhouse, a chance to meet players and an inning spent watching the game from inside the Green Monster, the iconic outfield scoreboard.

Receiving this gift is “one of the coolest experiences of my life,’’ Dominic said.

But Dominic hopes this will not be his only trip to Fenway. 

He dreams of spending a lot of time there in the years ahead _ as a player with the Red Sox. He aims to be the first athlete with congenital heart disease to be drafted by a major league team. 

Any young player faces long odds to reach such a major goal.

But he has been defying odds since before he was born.

When his mother, Kristen Driscoll, was 18 weeks pregnant, a check-up showed her baby had heart issues. The family feared he might not survive his birth, or live much longer after.

But he surprised everyone. He was a “huge baby’’ with “all kinds of energy,’’ his mother recalled, who would grip the side of his bassinet.

He also recovered well from the three surgeries, at four days, five months and two years old. 

And in the house and in the yard, he was constantly in motion, the family remembered. He was barely a toddler when he would spend hours with his mother in the backyard, playing catch and later hitting the ball. 

“He was off the wall’’ with energy, mom said. “He was fearless. There was no stopping him from the beginning.’’

His parents, naturally, worried at first, but doctors reassured him. “It’s probably better for a cardiac kid to be more active rather than to live in a bubble. Activity helps build up the heart,’’ his father, Bill Driscoll, said.  

Dominic also learned to listen to his body. When he needs to take a break, he will rest, then bounce right back. 

For that reason, baseball is an ideal sport, his parents said. Unlike other pastimes such as hockey or basketball, where the action is non-stop, baseball has a pace that is slower and naturally accommodates breaks.

Baseball has remained a constant in his life, including time spent in Middleboro Little League, when the team made the state championship.

Today, he plays in the New Balance Select League, based in Harvard. His father makes the long drive to north central Massachusetts several times a week so Dominic can play on the league teams and work out in their facility.

Working out is a constant: He does 100 push-ups, 100 squats, and wall planks every day. He also gets plenty of time in the batting cage that is set up in their Middleboro back yard. 

All of his hard work is aimed at the ultimate goal: Playing major league baseball.

“I’m in love with it, so I keep pushing every day,’’ he said. “It’s not going to be easy making it there but it’s definitely possible.’’

Nothing would surprise his family. “He’s gone above and beyond his entire life,’’ Kristen Driscoll said.

Dominic serves as “an inspiration to all of us,’’ Bill Driscoll said, including sister Natalia, 16, and brother Gabrien, 11.

In describing himself, Dominic uses an expression that his family points out has become something of a mantra.

“I feel better than good.’’

In addition to his long-term plans, the goal-oriented teen has an immediate focus: To prepare to toss out that first pitch at the Red Sox game.

“I have to throw a strike.’’