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Golf tournament to raise funds, awareness
  
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By KIMBERLY POORE
A remarkable young boy, two parents, and a bag full of clubs are coming together to raise money for a personal cause.
Zach Hamm may seem like your typical nine-year old boy. He is smart and articulate. He goes to school and has friends. He plays baseball and golf. He loves to swim and play on his Wii. However, Zach is anything but typical. Zach is affected by a rare genetic disorder called Ectodermal Dysplasias.
“We learned of Zach’s disorder when he was three,” said Susan Hamm, Zach’s mom. “I started researching some of Zach’s problems on the internet and realized that he had ED. We didn’t know a single person with ED, including ourselves before Zach was diagnosed.”
ED affects approximately 1 in 10,000 births. ED is not a single disorder. It is a group of heritable disorders causing the hair, teeth, nails and glands to develop and function abnormally. More than 100 different syndromes have been identified and many more are thought to be out there.
Zach has had eight major surgeries in his young life with many more to come. He has Ectodermal defect with skeletal abnormalities. He has one toe on his right foot and two toes on his left foot. He has finger and rib anomalies. Zach is missing several adult teeth. Zach has sweat glands, but they are not fully functional so he struggles to control his body temperature, particularly in the heat.
Zach and his parents made the choice to help raise money for the foundation that has helped them understand this rare disorder, National Foundation for Ectodermal Dysplasias. The idea for the 1st Annual Zach Hamm “Don’t Sweat it” Golf Classic was born. The idea came from Zach’s desire to help other kids affected by Ectodermal Dysplasias.
“We have made donations,” Susan said. “We wondered what we could do to help this foundation. We are very attached to this organization.”
“There are more than 100 types that fall under ED,” said Paul Hamm, Zach father. “It is an extremely complicated disorder, but because it is not fatal, there is no federal funding. So we wanted to help. We are looking to raise awareness and money for the NFED. It is a small foundation with very little exposure.”
The golf tournament will be held at the Gleannloch Pines on August 9.
“Our dream, our goal, is to make this a huge annual tournament,” Paul said, “We want it to be fun for the golfers. We want to replicate a PGA experience so that the golfers will come back every year and support this cause.”
“We hope a lot of people will come,” Zach said. “We hope everyone will come and have fun.”
For more information on Zach, NFED, or the golf tournament visit www.dontsweatitgolf.com.
Zach Hamm may seem like your typical nine-year old boy. He is smart and articulate. He goes to school and has friends. He plays baseball and golf. He loves to swim and play on his Wii. However, Zach is anything but typical. Zach is affected by a rare genetic disorder called Ectodermal Dysplasias.
“We learned of Zach’s disorder when he was three,” said Susan Hamm, Zach’s mom. “I started researching some of Zach’s problems on the internet and realized that he had ED. We didn’t know a single person with ED, including ourselves before Zach was diagnosed.”
ED affects approximately 1 in 10,000 births. ED is not a single disorder. It is a group of heritable disorders causing the hair, teeth, nails and glands to develop and function abnormally. More than 100 different syndromes have been identified and many more are thought to be out there.
Zach has had eight major surgeries in his young life with many more to come. He has Ectodermal defect with skeletal abnormalities. He has one toe on his right foot and two toes on his left foot. He has finger and rib anomalies. Zach is missing several adult teeth. Zach has sweat glands, but they are not fully functional so he struggles to control his body temperature, particularly in the heat.
Zach and his parents made the choice to help raise money for the foundation that has helped them understand this rare disorder, National Foundation for Ectodermal Dysplasias. The idea for the 1st Annual Zach Hamm “Don’t Sweat it” Golf Classic was born. The idea came from Zach’s desire to help other kids affected by Ectodermal Dysplasias.
“We have made donations,” Susan said. “We wondered what we could do to help this foundation. We are very attached to this organization.”
“There are more than 100 types that fall under ED,” said Paul Hamm, Zach father. “It is an extremely complicated disorder, but because it is not fatal, there is no federal funding. So we wanted to help. We are looking to raise awareness and money for the NFED. It is a small foundation with very little exposure.”
The golf tournament will be held at the Gleannloch Pines on August 9.
“Our dream, our goal, is to make this a huge annual tournament,” Paul said, “We want it to be fun for the golfers. We want to replicate a PGA experience so that the golfers will come back every year and support this cause.”
“We hope a lot of people will come,” Zach said. “We hope everyone will come and have fun.”
For more information on Zach, NFED, or the golf tournament visit www.dontsweatitgolf.com.
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