DARE TO DREAM

By Dennis Murphy

FCG golfer’s hone their skills and chase their dreams on some of the most incredible real estate around the world. Witnessing the competition first hand up close and seeing the strong personal desire of many of these young golfer’s is beyond inspiring. Observing the growth and development of each age group, handling their academic load, travel and competition is a classic example of exceeding expectations of time management skills. The process each young golfer goes through to compete at each FCG tournament prepares them for the next level while having “fun” playing the “game of golf”. The dream for many parents is to see their daughter or son play at the next level-college and even aspire to be one of the 1%er’s and play professionally. Dare to Dream!

Meet James Rushton, who has lived the dream of attending one of the finest academic institutions in the country University of Pennsylvania and fulfilled a dream of his and his parents of playing D1 soccer. James never thought his education and experience playing D1 soccer would afford him the opportunity to meet a young boy who would have an impact on his life. A life changing experience that he could not realize in the classroom or on the soccer field.

“I met Tanner seven years ago after Friends of Jaclyn matched him with the University of Pennsylvania men’s soccer team. As happy as I was to have him join the team, I could not help thinking in the back of my mind how sad it was that this child was battling brain cancer. However, you would not have been able to tell that during our first meeting. He was shy at first during the “press conference” announcing his arrival before opening up during a game of kickball, running around and talking excitedly to this group of young men who were listening intently and laughing along at everything that this inspiring child had to say to us. Right away, he was one of us. Tanner and his family attended all our home games as well as a few practices that season. I would play with Tanner and his sister before the games, who helped warm me up and even tie my shoes before each match.

That season was only the beginning of our relationship with Tanner and his family. Just as he supported us at our soccer games, we attended one of his hockey games to support him, and the whole team surprised him in the hospital one time when he was receiving treatment. In my last semester of college, I spent time with Tanner and his family at the hospital every two weeks during Tanner’s regular visits to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where I saw firsthand the battle that not only Tanner was fighting, but the whole family. When I returned to Philadelphia for the first time after I graduated, I got dinner with him and his family. And when I got married last April, they drove all the way from New Jersey to Texas to attend. To this day, I speak on the phone with Tanner every few months and know I will get a birthday call from him.

While Friends of Jaclyn was set up to help support children with cancer, my life has been forever changed by my connection with Tanner and his family and the lessons that they taught me. I learned about how to live through trauma, making the most of circumstances and allowing for sadness but not being controlled by sadness. I learned about the strength of the human spirit, especially when connected with others. And I learned about the role of family when a child is fighting a serious illness. While Tanner was the star of the show, his family all played incredibly important roles and touched me in different but just as profound ways. I am so proud of Tanner and his family, and I feel so lucky to count them as lifelong friends”.

James has demonstrated that being a NEdvocate, doesn’t necessarily come from a text book, but form the heart. Cancer affects the whole family, the smiles on Tanner face and his whole family puts it all into perspective. When James and Tanner get together, the quality of life is instantly improved and there is nothing the beast can do about it. Infectious as Tanner is, James being a NEDvocate demonstrates the heart is a powerful instrument to have in the bag!