Kevin Minnick, writing for the Cherry Hill [NJ] Courier-Post, profiles Brad Hennefer, the 21-year-old athlete who is the heart of the Brad Hennefer Golf for Life Foundation.

The foundation. which introduces the game of golf to people with Down syndrome, was created in 2006 by Brad and his brother Bobby, mother Nancy and father Bob (above). An excerpt:

… Never in their wildest dreams could they have imagined how far the foundation would come in such a short period of time.

What began as clinics has transcended into public speaking around the country, participation in national events, hob-nobbing with celebrities.

… “We never dreamed he would be doing what he’s doing,” Nancy said. “Families see hope when they see him.”

… In life, people come and go. Then there are those you never forget because they’ve made a difference. That’s Brad Hennefer.

Oh yeah.

Earlier posts here.

From the BBC, Washington Post, Miami Herald:

Monica & David, a documentary about the romance and marriage of two young adults with Down syndrome, has won the top documentary prize at the prestigious Tribeca Film Festival.

The film was directed by the female subject’s cousin, Miami’s Alexandra Codina, and was chosen from among 30 documentaries to receive a $25,000 prize.  It is scheduled to premiere on HBO in October.

From the jury’s statement:

“Monica & David takes an incredibly intimate situation and beautifully translates it in a way that makes you think about your own life. It’s a clear and observant look at a family and the purity of love, fueled by an organic sense of the sadness, joy and everyday humor that fill this epic journey that is life.”

An excerpt from the festival’s program notes:

… an intimate, year-in-the-life portrait of two childlike spirits with adult desires as they prepare for their fairy tale wedding and face the realities of married life afterward. Taking immense pride in their new roles as husband and wife, David wants to bring home the bacon, and Monica wants to fry it in the pan. They want babies of their own. But their unique circumstances still have them living with Monica’s mother and husband. How will this unique family face its challenges and move forward?

… along with their story is one of two different mothers who sacrificed and struggled against an intolerant world to provide for their children.

The official trailer is here.

In a conversation with Claudia Dreifus from the New York Times, Nobel Prize winner Dr. Carol W. Greider acknowledges her struggle with dyslexia and says it influenced her to pursue the study of science. Greider, of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, shared a Nobel Prize this week for her research on telomeres.

Q. Did you always want to be a biologist?

A. My parents were scientists. But I wasn’t the sort of child who did science fairs. One of the things I was thinking about today is that as a kid I had dyslexia. I had a lot of trouble in school and was put into remedial classes. I thought that I was stupid.

Q. That must have hurt.

A. Sure. Yes. It was hard to overcome that. I kept thinking of ways to compensate. I learned to memorize things very well because I just couldn’t spell words. So later when I got to take classes like chemistry and anatomy where I had to memorize things, it turned out I was very good at that.

See also:

Mild autism has ‘selective advantages’; Nobel Laureate Vernon Smith discusses his personal challenges with Asperger syndrome — NBC News

From the Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, USC press release:

Elyn Saks, a USC law professor whose struggle with schizophrenia has informed her advocacy on behalf of those with mental illness, is among the 24 winners of this year’s “genius” grants from the MacArthur Foundation. Honorees receive $500,000 to be used at their discretion.

Saks, 53, kept her schizophrenia hidden while excelling academically, earning a philosophy degree from Oxford University and a law degree from Yale University. In addition to her work at the USC law school, Saks is also an adjunct professor of psychiatry at UC San Diego, where she does research about society’s rejection of the mentally ill and how high-functioning schizophrenics cope.

Saks came out of the mental health closet with her 2007 memoir, “The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey Through Madness.” The book described the night terrors she had suffered throughout her life, her earlier beliefs that she had mentally caused the deaths of thousands of people, and the often-inhumane treatment she had received at mental health facilities.

Saks said in an interview that she would use at least some of the prize money to extend her memoir by interviewing other people with schizophrenia who are doing well.

“When I’m traveling, people always say, ‘You’re unique.’ Well, I’m really not,” she said. “I would just like to tell other people’s stories as well to further give people hope and understanding.”

From the StoryCorps oral history project on National Public Radio:

Ricky Boone, a magician and owner of a magic shop in Asheville, NC, tells his friend Patty Barber about the teacher who transformed his life.

Boone was born with a rare bone disorder that stunted his growth and limited his mobility. He says he spent his childhood in a rural area where “people were ashamed that the next door neighbor was a disabled child.” Then one day, everything changed: a new teacher showed up at school on a Harley motorcycle. He was wearing a black leather jacket.

That teacher, Grovner Wood, became the principal and embarked upon teaching Boone magic tricks, frequently paging him over the loudspeaker to come down to the principal’s office.

Today, Boone says he owes everything to his former principal. He’s been a professional magician for 36 years and owns his own magic shop, Magic Central.

He says that people “see me as someone to pity. It takes a lot to get past that initial shock. But if I can make that person laugh their butt off, then they have no time to feel sorry for me, and they forget that I’m in a chair.”

From the [Cherry Hill, NJ] Courier-Post:

Golfer Brad Hennefer, who has Down syndrome, has been selected in a nationwide internet vote to represent the Philadelphia Phillies at the 2009 All-Star Game in St. Louis this summer.

Hennefer, 20, was nominated in the “All-Stars Among Us” campaign for his work with the Golf for Life Foundation. The campaign, sponsored by Major League Baseball and People Magazine, recognizes individuals who have gone above and beyond to serve their communities. Winners will be honored at a pregame ceremony on July 14.

With the help of his family and the Philadelphia Section PGA, the 2008 Cherry Hill East High School graduate started the foundation in 2006. The organization provides coaching and opportunities for youngsters with Down syndrome.

Hennefer played varsity sports in high school, lettering in both golf and basketball.

Earlier posts here.

(Courier-Post photo)

‘Eight cyclists show what vigilance about health can accomplish’

By Tara Parker-Pope in the New York Times:

A team of eight cyclists with Type 1 diabetes completed the 3021-mile Race Across America in record time last week. Team members said the skills they had gained in managing their diabetes provided them with a competitive edge, helping them manage their health and performance meticulously throughout the grueling ride.

The accomplishments of the cyclists, who have a corporate sponsor and ride as Team Type 1, have become a source of inspiration for the estimated three million Americans with Type 1 diabetes, and especially for worried parents confronting a diagnosis of the disease in their children.

But the victory also offers lessons for the rest of us, underlining the benefits of daily vigilance when it comes to health.

… The cyclists’ average speed was 23.41 miles per hour — 0.17 better than the winner last year, a Norwegian cycling team made up of professionals.

See also:

Cyclists with Type 1 diabetes race across America – New York Times

(NYT photo: Team Type 1 co-founders Joe Eldridge, left, and Phil Southerland)