Camden Catholic field hockey team dedicates season to boy with rare disease
The Camden Catholic field hockey team is having a special season. The Irish are winning a lot of games, too.
The Camden Catholic field hockey team is having a special season.
The Irish are winning a lot of games, too.
The two things are related, but senior center-forward Erin Campbell said the team's success is the result of a focus on something much more important than the scoreboard.
"We've all been able to take a step back and see there's so much more out there, so many things bigger than playing a game," Campbell said.
Camden Catholic has dedicated its season to Luke Martine, a four-year-old from Cherry Hill with a rare disease known as Congenital Central Hypoventilation Syndrome.
The team is to hold a "Light Up the Night" event at its home game against Ocean City on Thursday night in a battle of two of South Jersey's top programs.
The event is a fund-raiser and also designed to raise awareness. All proceeds from sales of T-shirts, glow sticks and items from the refreshment stand will benefit the CCHS Foundation in support of the Martine family.
Luke is one of just 1,200 cases of Congenital Central Hypoventilation Syndrome worldwide. CCHS is a central nervous system disorder that prohibits the brain from signalling the body to breath when the person is asleep.
As a result, Luke must be mechanically ventilated. He has a tracheotomy and must be hooked to a ventilator when he sleeps.
Camden Catholic team mom Christine Johns is one of Luke's nurses. Her daughters, Rebecca and Kate, who are members of the team, are babysitters.
Campbell said Luke has attended several practices this season and has been an "inspiration" to the team.
"We're so lucky that we found Luke," Campbell said. "We were looking for something, something to get us moving.
"Now we're playing in his honor."
Camden Catholic enters Thursday night's game with a 13-4 record and a seven-game winning streak. Campbell said it was "so perfect" that Luke's disease is abbreviated with the the same initials as the high school.
"He has helped us so much," Campbell said. "We have such a great environment. We're so positive, and it's because we know we're playing for something bigger than ourselves."
@PhilAnastasia