I'm not even certain if this type of post is allowed...if not please delete as I understand.

In the summer of 2015 while most Buckeyes were still glowing in the aftermath of the national championship our families life was forever changed with one phone call.  A phone call that informed us that our then four year old son, Alex, likely had Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.  It is a phone call I wish on no family.  Duchenne is a 100% fatal muscle wasting disorder that leaves children unable to walk before they are teenagers before eventually dying of heart or lung failure in their mid twenties.  At the time there was no cure and no approved treatments.  That was that...

However, we learned very quickly that one of if not the best muscular dystrophy clinics in the world was right here in Columbus at Nationwide Childrens Hospital.  On our first visit we were informed of all of the amazing therapies and research in development.  Alex quickly landed in a clinical trial for a drug therapy that was eventually approved by the FDA in September of 2017.  His therapy is not a cure but hopefully slows down his muscle wasting progression.  He received his first therapy by IV in January 2016 and has continued to receive one every week since (he will be reaching over 200 infusions before his 9th birthday).  There are many other potentially life changing therapies in development as well.  So there is hope for not only for the next generation of children, but hope for the generation living with DMD today.

My wife and I have always been fighters and we were determined to make a difference for our son and all the other children and young adults who have DMD.  We quickly got connected to the Little Hercules Foundation, a local non profit based in Dublin that funds research.  My wife and I being passionate golfers started a golf outing for the foundation in 2016 and in the three years since, with tremendous support have raised over $200k.  Our goal has always been to put on a high quality golf outing at lower cost than premium outings.  Every year we try to have a celebrity chairperson.  In our first two years they were former OSU basketball captain Rick Smith and former All American football player Will Allen.  Last year we were very lucky to get Chris Holtmann involved.  This year we are very proud that Urban and Shelley Meyer will be our chairpersons and keynote speakers.

With all that said, I just wanted to send an invite out to everyone to the Little Hercules Golf Classic taking place on September 30th at Scioto Reserve and Kinsale in Powell, Ohio.  You really don't even need to be a golfer to enjoy the day, you really just have to be proud to know you are giving sick children hope for a chance to grow up.

Thank you,
Justin Rezkalla

Powell, Ohio

https://littleherculesfoundation.org/events/golf-classic/