Voorhees' field hockey program has recorded over 500 victories since its inception in 1975.
Now, the Hunterdon County school is waging a battle not easily won off the field.
First-year coach Taylor Webb and her players recently banded together for a charitable cause, helping to raise awareness and money for the Save the Cherubs campaign against Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH).
The rare birth defect, which affects one in every 2,500 babies, has touched two children with ties to the Voorhees program within the last year. The first, Madelyn Stocker, daughter of former coach Beth Stocker, who was born at the start of the 2010 season. Most recently, Webb's nephew, Bryce, who was born in April, also fought and won a battle CDH. Bryce's mother, Sara, played forward for the Vikings in the mid 1990s and is now a nurse practitioner near Reading, Pa.
The fact that two children within the Voorhees family were stricken in such a short span is uncanny. I'm happy to report that both children are doing fine after having to endure surgical procedures at a tender age.
"We had a two-part fundraiser," said Webb, who earned her first state playoff win with her team's 7-0 victory over North Plainfield in the North 2, Group 2 playoffs on Friday. "We did pink and blue hair extensions that raised $400 and we had a hospitality table [at a home game against Franklin on Oct. 21]. We raised about $1,500, which is great. Last year, we raised close to $1,000. I was impressed with how everything turned out."
CDH is still relatively unknown, despite being as common as Cystic Fibrosis and Spina Bifida. CDH occurs when the diaphragm fails to fully form, allowing abdominal organs into the chest cavity and preventing lung growth. Sadly, 50 percent of infants born with CDH do not survive. There is still no known cause for CDH.
"Not too many people know anything about it," Webb said. "It's very odd to know two [babies born with CDH]. We specified that the money goes to research."
Webb said that both children are making visits to a Philadelphia area hospitals for routine checkups and it's nice that both families and their children are able to share in the experiences.
Let's all hope the Vikings help score a win over CDH. Nice job Voorhees.
For information, or to make a donation, visit http://www.savethecherubs.org/
No comments:
Post a Comment