VANCOUVER, Wash. -- A Vancouver Little Leaguer who uses an oxygen tank will be allowed to return to the field after getting pulled by a concerned umpire.

Twelve-year-old Jacob Garcia has a rare condition that causes frequent infections in his lungs. Those infections cause scarring, which makes it difficult to breathe. So for the last five years he's worn a small oxygen tank strapped to his back which makes it possible for him to play ball.

It's that tank that got him tossed.

"The umpire said I couldn't play because of my tank, because of my oxygen,” Garcia told KGW.

The umpire who ejected Garcia said the oxygen was not approved equipment. But Wednesday, the National Little League headquarters reviewed the case and ruled that Garcia should be allowed to play.

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Garcia was frustrated by what he went through, but hopeful, too.

“I feel like I'm making way for people like me who wear oxygen, too. I feel like I'm making a path for them so they don't have to go through the stuff I've gone through,” he said.

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The Vancouver Little League wants to help make sure oxygen tanks get approved nationwide.

Garcia has been wearing the oxygen tank for five years.