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“Never Strunk Out” June 12, 2005 Zakki Strunk is a normal 11-year old boy that lives in Philadelphia. He loves baseball, and his goal is to make it to the major leagues. Considering that he is even still alive, I would never bet against him. Zakki suffered a devastating stroke when he was a month old, which severely damaged his brain, and greatly impaired the left side of his body. Since then, he has had 10 heart surgeries, and will soon need an 11th. Because of his congenital heart disease, when Zakki was age 5, Doctors said he only had a month to live as they scheduled his make-a-wish foundation trip to Disneyworld. But 7 years later, Zakki refuses to give up on life, or his dream. “Someday I will pitch for the Phillies,” he says, and somehow you believe him. Even though he hasn’t grown in 3 years, Zakki is now 4 ft tall, and he weighs 100 pounds. His bloated body is the result of the steroids he’s had to take as part of his treatment. Recently, he asked Doctors, “Do you think I’ll be off steroids by the time I’m 21?” “I want to be a clean major leaguer.” According to his mother, from the moment he wakes up, to the time he hits the sack, he watches, talks, reads, eats, and thinks baseball. And he plays too! Right now his fastball is about 43 mph, not bad for a kid that is currently nursing a torn tendon and pulled hamstring in his right leg, as well as a cyst on his brain. Doctors are scratching their heads. They have no idea why Zakki continues surviving? I do… As another year winds down for the Novi Wildcat faithful, we are once again reminded that for many of us, sports provide a vehicle to think big and dream. Next week at this time, I’ll be writing about the 2005 State Champion Girls Soccer team. The dreaming is the cool part, but for others the power of sport can provide the strength to stay alive. I root for the Soccer team, and I root for Zakki Strunk…. And, I have faith in both. “Every time I stand on the mound, I feel I’m that much closer to my dream,” Zakki recently said. So, Zakki, by the way?… When you make it to the big leagues, could you leave me a couple of tickets? “My dream is to be in the major leagues,” Zakki says.
Personally, my dream is to
see him pitch… (c) 2005 Novi
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