Tackle FOP: Join the Team

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The New York Giants join the IFOPA to help raise FOP awareness and find a treatment and a cure

By Gary Whyte

Last year my nine-year-old son Jeffrey expressed an interest in football.

As parents, we had already tackled the same topic with our older son Christopher, and in turn he settled on lacrosse. Since Jeffrey was already playing lacrosse at the time and liking it, we delved into the physical dangers associated with football.

That started me thinking.

Since football was such a hard contact sport, with players subjected to all types of bone related injuries, why not try and introduce FOP to it?
That’s how our Tackle FOP event for FOP Awareness got started.
My good friend Tim Shinn took me to the New York Giants kick-off luncheon in New York City last year and introduced me to the right people. That led me to supplying information about FOP to Allison Stangeby, the Director of Community Relations for the New York Giants.

In May 2006, I gave a personal introduction to Allison by showing her a five-minute video the Weldon Family had produced on FOP. I remember walking into her office and shaking her hand, and I distinctly remember leaving her office with a bear hug. It was at that very moment I heard the words that I welcome with open arms no matter where I hear them:

“How can we help?”

Pre-Game Festivities

On Sunday, October 8, 2006, the New York Giants played the Washington Redskins at Giants Stadium in New Jersey.

For the game, I assembled a total of thirty-two people for our FOP Awareness Day. We had the Weldon, Stokes-Kane and the Forshtay/Green families from New Jersey, along with the Licht and Rossano families from New York and the Pullano family from Connecticut. In addition we had Gabrielle Apigo (Miss Teen New Jersey Galaxy) and her mom Gail, Dr. Eileen Shore and Dr. Robert Shore from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, the Barbera and Whyte families, and my nephew Vinny and his girlfriend Nicole.

All of us were invited to pre-and-post game festivities in the West End-Zone Bubble. After the pre-game festivities, 15 of us were escorted onto the sidelines during the Giants-Redskins practice.

Laura Rossano was all bright and bubbly, wearing her Giants jersey, and a person on the coaching staff of the Redskins approached her and gave her a football and said, “The Washington Redskins want you to have this.” I think Laura was perfectly positioned as Jay Feely of the New York Giants went over to her to say hello as well, as did a game referee, who handed her an NFL pin. Then Chad Morton of the New York Giants went over to Daniel Licht and presented him with a football.

As you can see, our time spent on the sidelines was very exciting for one and all.

Showtime

Then an announcement came over the speakers asking everyone to direct their attention to the big screens at both ends of the stadium. For the next minute and a half, 75,000 people saw the FOP awareness video we had prepared special for that day.

I imagine the group of FOP families assembled at the game felt awed by the moment, knowing the story of FOP was reaching such a large group of people all at the same time.

Before the video began, I asked the children with FOP assembled on the sidelines to let out a loud cheer after the video was shown. And that they did, letting out a roar that allowed everyone around them know that although they were small in numbers they were strong in spirit.

Thanks to Linda Daugherty and Jennifer Snow for making the video a reality, and thanks to Mountainside, NJ-resident Bill Giannone for paying for the video production costs.

VIP Treatment

After the video aired, everyone in our group was invited to a luxury box donated by Tim Shinn, who stocked the counters with plenty of delicious food and drink (which made everyone’s day that much more special.)

When the game ended, the Giants beating the Redskins 19-3, everyone returned to the Bubble for post-game activities and chance to get some autographs.

For 10-year-old Sophia Forshtay, 13-year-old Zachary Kane, 12-year-old Daniel Licht, 17-year-old Laura Rossano and 25-year-old Holly Pullano, the time was magical.

Heck, it was like that for the rest of us too — we all felt like kids for the day.

Lifelong Memories

The remarks that follow were given to me after the fact. I find them beautiful and touching, and more importantly I feel they needed to be shared.

Jeri Licht said of the event: “You have some idea of how much fun these kids had, but you have only an inkling of how much it will mean when they are in pain and they can bank on the memory of that day, which will bring a smile to their lips, years later, decades even.”

Holly Pullano said: “The day was amazing for several reasons. Not only did it create awareness of FOP to an audience of 75,000 people, but perhaps even more importantly it allowed families in the FOP community to gather together and have fun together, something that unfortunately does not happen very often.”

Laura Rossano said: “It was an experience that I will never forget. Thank you so much for an unforgettable day.”

Hillary Weldon said: “It was an unbelievable day and it was a warm welcome to see smiles in our house.”

Connie Green said: “It was a beautiful sight to see Sophia’s face light-up after having her face painted with the Giants’ blue and white colors.”

Patricia Stokes-Kane said: “Zac and I had a wonderful time. Later that evening, Zac stated that it was the best day for him. His exact words: ‘Mom, I had a really good day today. I always feel like I am the only one with FOP and now I have finally met others with it.’ Words cannot describe the feeling that I got when he stated that. Thank you so much for your vision.”

Anyone who knows me knows I got really choked-up after reading those beautiful messages. However, it also pained me that Amanda and Ian Cali and Hillary and Whitney Wheldon could not be with us for the game.

In their honor, as well as the rest of the people who could attend, I’ll sign-off with the words created for the occasion:

“Tackle FOP.”

.... and we will!

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