HE'S SCORED A MAJOR GOAL HIGH SCHOOL JUNIOR BATTLES ILLNESS WITH TEAM WORK.Byline: DENNIS McCARTHY Dennis McCarthy may refer to:
``I can count on one hand the ninth-graders who have come to this school and were good enough to make the starting varsity team In the United States and Canada and UK, varsity sports teams are the principal athletic teams representing a college, university, or high school or other secondary school. Such teams compete against the principal athletic teams at other colleges/universities, or in the case of as a freshman. Carlos was one of those kids.'' David Hussey David Hussey (born July 15, 1977) in Morley, Western Australia is an Australian cricketer who has represented Australia at under 19 level in his youth. A right-handed batsman and a right-arm offbreak bowler, Hussey has been given the nickname of Little Mr Cricket , soccer coach at El Camino Real High School El Camino Real High School (also known locally as "ECR" and by some more recently as "ELCO") is a public secondary school located in the Woodland Hills district of the San Fernando Valley region of the city of Los Angeles, California. in Woodland Hills. Dreams aren't supposed to die when you're only 15. They're supposed to live on well past your teenage years, until one day you finally face reality and realize that, no matter how good you are, you're never going to be the next Pele or David Beckham  Editing of this page by unregistered or newly registered users is currently disabled due to vandalism. - the next soccer star. Those dreams aren't supposed to die before you're shaving, before you're old enough to drive a car or vote. Carlos Charney's dreams did just that a few years ago on the soccer field at El Camino Real High School in Woodland Hills. In a few short weeks, he went from being a star on the soccer team to sitting on the bench. From being envied by classmates Classmates can refer to either:
``One day, I went to kick the ball, but I couldn't because my right foot was asleep,'' Carlos says. ``Then I lost the feeling in my left foot and right hand.'' Within days, George and Aminta Charney were helping their son get dressed Verb 1. get dressed - put on clothes; "we had to dress quickly"; "dress the patient"; "Can the child dress by herself?" dress primp, preen, dress, plume - dress or groom with elaborate care; "She likes to dress when going to the opera" for school because Carlos couldn't do it by himself any more. The kid who had always been the star on all the youth soccer teams growing up - the kid who could kick the ball a mile - couldn't tie his own shoelaces now. ``We were getting desperate,'' George said this week from the Charneys' Woodland Hills home. ``All his dreams, our dreams, for Carlos to play college, maybe even professional soccer someday, were crumbling right before our eyes. And he was only 15.'' At first, doctors thought it might be a pinched nerve, but his condition got so bad Carlos finally had to drop out of school because he couldn't use his hands to write anymore, and his vision was getting progressively more blurry. ``It was so sad to see,'' said David Hussey, the school's soccer coach and assistant principal. ``Here was this wonderful athlete falling down as he tried to walk through the campus. ``But he still had that big smile. Everyone tried to help, but there wasn't anything we could do.'' Only the doctors could do that. In February 2003, Dr. William Goldie William 'Bill' Goldie (Born 22nd January 1878, died circa 1924) was a footballer who played for Liverpool Football Club in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, helping them to a Football League Championship. , a former member of the department of pediatric pediatric /pe·di·at·ric/ (pe?de-at´rik) pertaining to the health of children. pe·di·at·ric adj. Of or relating to pediatrics. neurology at Kaiser Permanente Kaiser Permanente is an integrated managed care organization, based in Oakland, California, founded in 1945 by industrialist Henry J. Kaiser and physician Sidney R. Garfield. Medical Center in Woodland Hills, wrote to El Camino school officials. ``We have performed a number of studies and now have a diagnosis,'' he began. ``Carlos has a form of multiple sclerosis that is sometimes referred to as Devic's disease De·vic's disease n. See neuromyelitis optica. . It affects the spinal cord spinal cord, the part of the nervous system occupying the hollow interior (vertebral canal) of the series of vertebrae that form the spinal column, technically known as the vertebral column. and the optic nerves optic nerve: see vision. , and can also affect other regions of the central nervous system.'' With proper drugs and medications, the doctor said, Carlos was making progress, but he was going to need help with taking notes and examinations when he returned to school. ``His balance and coordination may be a bit problematic,'' Dr. Goldie wrote, ``but he should be able to participate in regular PE with proper supervision and modification.'' As it happened, Carlos would do better than that. A lot better. This year, when the El Camino soccer team went into the city playoff championships, the kid with big dreams was back on the field, helping his teammates make it all the way to the city high school semifinals. ``With all the adversity Carlos faced, he made it back,'' Hussey said. ``He's just a tremendous inspiration to everyone. At the beginning of the year, you could see he was struggling with his coordination, but he never gave up, never quit. ``By the end of the season, he was one of our top performers.'' Because he lost so much school time undergoing treatment for MS, Carlos was held back a year. Hussey is petitioning league athletic officials to grant Carlos one more year of soccer eligibility because he lost a year of playing while battling the disease. ``If there are no relapses and he continues to practice and work hard, Carlos has a great shot at playing college soccer after he graduates,'' Hussey said. After that, who knows? If a kid can take on MS and keep going, who says he can't take on the pros someday, too? He has a lot of people to thank for getting his dreams back at 17, Carlos said this week. ``My teammates and all the kids at school who stopped by and took me out to a movie or lunch, who gave me their support. All the coaches and teachers who didn't give up on me, and helped me come back.'' And, of course, his parents - ``my backbone,'' he calls them. They were there with him every slow, painful step of the way back - dressing him, tying his shoes, and keeping his spirit and motivation alive. Convincing their son that 15 was way too young to let your dreams die. Dennis McCarthy, (818) 713-3749 dennis.mccarthy(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (color) Carlos Charney, at his Woodland Hills home with his father, George, battled back from multiple sclerosis to make the El Camino Real High School soccer team this year. David Sprague/Staff Photographer |
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