Downers Grove Panthers players embrace teammate with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Tommy Freedlund is just like all the other preteen boys on his Downers Grove 11U Panthers football team. He loves to laugh and spend time with friends and he loves football. But at age 4, Tommy was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and can no longer walk. That didn’t stop his dad from approaching the Panthers’ organization.

Tommy was embraced with open arms by 11U Panthers coach Nate Fouch, who put Tommy on his team’s roster after Christian Freedlund reached out last season to the organization. Christian wanted his son to be part of a brotherhood and to know something bigger in life than his disability.

“I always wanted him to have a team experience and be part of something bigger than Duchenne,” Christian said. “It’s very hard for anyone at their age to understand when they see something different and not let it impact their perception, but these kids have done such a great job welcoming him.”

While there was a learning curve to figuring out how to include Tommy, Fouch quickly decided Tommy would be a team captain. Being team captain means Tommy gets to wheel out to the 50-yard line at every game and represent his team for the coin toss. Fouch also said Tommy actively encourages the boys, helps set drills at practice and has begun to embrace a coaching mentality.

Of course, explaining to young boys why someone their age can no longer walk is a challenge, but Fouch and Christian tackled that as well. On World Duchenne Awareness Day on Sept. 7, Christian attended a Panthers practice without Tommy and explained Duchenne to the boys on the team, telling them he wanted his son to be part of their bond. After that, Fouch said the boys understood and embraced Tommy as their own.

“Tommy’s presence on our team has been transformative,” Fouch said. “He has taught our players and our coaches a lot about compassion, unity and teamwork. He’s an inspiration to me and the team and you know I think I needed that in my life and I think our players did, too – we all do.”

Erin Robertson, who has a son on Tommy’s team and plays the role of team mom, said she immediately wanted Tommy and his family to feel welcome as soon as she heard his story. She had bracelets made and helped coordinate a special party to celebrate and recognize Tommy at a game to raise awareness for Duchenne.

For Robertson, seeing Tommy on the team is something that makes her proud to be part of the Panthers organization. With three sons in various age groups playing for the Panthers, she said Tommy’s inclusion on her son Gavin’s team has made him more understanding and empathetic.

“The Panthers have this phrase of ‘in the heart’ and I think this and Tommy’s story shows exactly what the organization is about and really stands by that phrase,” Robertson said. “These kids are being taught so much more than just winning and losing and as a mom that means everything to me because I want my kids to understand that not everyone has the same abilities, but everyone should be included.”

For Tommy, it’s all smiles all the time, his dad said. Tommy loves spending time with the team and they’ve all become quick friends. While Tommy sometimes takes losses hard, Christian said it’s been fun to see his son participate in the world of sports – something he wasn’t sure he would ever be able to see Tommy do.

Athletics are a large part of Tommy’s family and with Christian helping to coach the team, the two have had a chance to realize new dreams and possibilities for Tommy.

“When we got the diagnosis, we had to reevaluate how we were going to move forward because we saw all these dreams and possibilities for our son vanish,” Christian said. “Nothing can prepare you for that, but you have to adjust. I’m just really glad we did this because I wasn’t sure what the reaction would be but the organization has done so much to welcome us and he really enjoys being part of the team.”