At only two and half years of age, Adam Wingate has spent far too many hours of his life in hospital rooms. But despite his circumstances, he is a happy little boy who brings great joy to his family.

In December 2005, Rick and Mechelle Wingate welcomed the birth of their fourth child, Adam. About four hours after his birth, the doctor came in with some unexpected news: Adam had Downs Syndrome.

“He spent a little over a month in the hospital after birth until his blood counts were good,” said his father Rick, a resident of Fayette County since 1985.

The first two and half years of Adam’s life have “been great,” says Rick. “[Adam is an] absolutely wonderful child.” Adam was born with two holes in his heart, which have since healed on their own.

Adam has three older siblings, Kacie, Chris and Alana. Kacie is in her second year at Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville, Ga. While a student at Whitewater High School, Kacie was a cheerleader. Chris is currently a senior at WHS where he is a starter on the football team. Alana is in third grade and cheers for the Blue Devils and also plays softball for Brooks Pressure.

Rick works as a store manager at Value City and, before taking time off to care for Adam, Mechelle was a district building service manager with Target.

On June 5 of this year, the family received devastating news, Adam was sick.

The discovery came after Added Love Learning Center called Mechelle to let her know Adam had refused to walk all day. After picking him up, Mechelle looked at his toes and discovered that they were black and blue and that his legs were also bruised, none of which was visible that morning. Mechelle immediately headed to Fayette Regional Hospital with her baby boy and, crying, called Rick 30 minutes later with the news: Adam had leukemia.

He was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a rapidly progressive cancer of the blood that is characterized by the uncontrolled proliferation of an immature form of lymphocyte (a type of white blood cell) called a lymphoblast. The overproduction of these cells crowds the bone marrow, radically reducing the body’s ability to form other normal and necessary blood cells, according to WebMD.com.

There are about 4,000 new cases of ALL in the United States each year. It appears most often in children younger than age 10. ALL is the most common leukemia in children. However, it can appear in people of any age — about one-third of cases are adults. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia may also be called acute lymphocytic leukemia or acute lymphoid leukemia.

Over the past three months, Adam and his family have faced challenges no family should ever have to encounter. In his first month after diagnosis, it was discovered that Adam was allergic to the silk tape, causing him to contract a fungus which began to eat away his arm. The damage from the fungus has resulted in 11 surgeries.

Adam’s cancer is currently in remission, but that doesn’t mean he’s in the clear yet. He gets chemotherapy at the hospital weekly, which sometimes involves spinal taps, marrow pulls and chemo through his port.

“The process for him should take three years or so,” said Rick. “The first year is very heavy chemo, after that he should go into ‘maintenance mode’ where they back off the every week thing. Our hopes are that he makes a full recovery from the cancer (he already beat the odds with the fungal infection), and he can just be a little boy that is dealing only with the challenges that Downs brings.”

Because the chemo suppresses his immune system, Adam is more susceptible to other infections and sickness. Between the chemo treatments and the unpredictable illnesses, the Wingates expect to be in the hospital at least a few days each month, if not more.

He has begun using sign language for what he can’t say. Adam was walking prior to the leukemia and is just now starting to try again after the past six weeks spent on his back. What hasn’t changed through all of this, Rick says, is Adam’s wonderful disposition.

One thing the Wingates have to be thankful for is the support they have received from friends and strangers alike.

On Father’s Day, after learning about Adam’s story, golf pro Rick Wolf, from Fayetteville Golf Club, offered to organize a tournament to benefit Adam. Wolf and Fayetteville Golf Club owner Craig Forney worked together to create the Adam Wingate Invitational. The event was held on July 25, which coincidentally was also Rick Wingate’s birthday.

The tournament was a success, with approximately 50 to 60 golfers showing up in support of little Adam. Rick says that about half of those in attendance were people the Wingates know. The rest were friends of Wolf’s or had heard about Adam through other sources.

Fayetteville Golf Club, formerly known as Rivers Edge Golf Club, has been under new ownership for the past year and a half. Owner Forney’s goal is to have a golf course that welcomes its members and the public to play while offering a course that is both challenging and well maintained. The club made for the perfect spot to host the invitational.

Sponsors generously donated to the cause, providing for a minimum of $50 in prizes for every golfer – one golfer even won a cabin for six in Helen, Ga., and a round of golf for four. Sponsors for the event included Alan Vigil Ford, Last Minute Golfer, PGA Tour Superstore, A to Z Golf, USA Foods and Phil at PGAGolfArt.com, along with several courses around the state, which provided certificates for free golfing.

Radio station 92.5 The Bear even provided the Wingates with more than an hour of live radio time to promote the event. Rick is especially thankful for the help of The Car Guys – Scott and Charlie, Wolf and Forney.

If all of this weren’t enough, Wolf and Forney have offered to host yet another tournament on October 24. The Adam Wingate 2 Man Scramble is open to anyone who is interested in having a good time while helping out a good cause.

“Their offer to do this tournament, much less another in October, just speaks to their kindness and willingness to support non-profit groups and families,” said Rick Wingate.

The event will once again be held at Fayetteville Golf Club, 40 Southern Golf Court, Fayetteville, Ga. The competition, which will be in the Ft. Lauderdale Scramble format, will begin at 10 a.m. and the cost is $100 per player. The cost includes all food and drinks during the tournament. Prizes will once again be offered and include four ride-alongs courtesy of Richard Petty Racing, free golf, gift certificates from several retailers and more.

Corporate sponsorships are welcome for the tournament and more information can be obtained by contacting Rick Wingate at 770-335-8178 or by emailing wingater@bellsouth.net.

For those interested in making a donation without participating in the tournament, tax deductible donations can be made to Adams Life Foundation. An account is in place at Southern Community Bank on Jeff Davis Drive in Fayetteville, or checks can be mailed to 483 Massengale Rd, Brooks, Ga. 30205. One hundred percent of donations go toward costs associated with Adam’s illness.

To register for the tournament, call 770-460-1098. For more information on Fayetteville Golf Club, visit www.fayettevillegc.com.

login to post comments