FSU swim and dive team to sign local 13-year old diagnosed with cerebral palsy – Tallahassee Democrat

Crawfordville native Sam Donaway is set to sign with the FSU Swimming and Diving team Saturday in a special ceremony.(Photo: Perrone Ford/FSU Sports Information)

Saturday will be a day to remember for Sam Donaway.

The 13-year old from Crawfordville, Fla. is set to sign with the Florida State Swimming and Diving team at the Morcom Aquatics Center Saturday at 1 p.m.as an official member of the team through FSU's partnership withnational nonprofit organization Team IMPACT.

Donaway was diagnosed with cerebral palsy in 2007 and has dealt with the physically debilitating disorder for the vast majority of his life. Approximately 8,000 babies and infants are diagnosed with cerebral palsy each year.

Sam Donaway was diagnosed with cerebral palsy in 2007 and, now 13, will sign with the FSU Swimming and Diving team Saturday.(Photo: Ross Obley/FSU Sports Information)

Saturday's signing day event will see Donaway sign an official NCAA Letter of Intent with a special addressfrom head swimming and diving coach Neal Studd.

The partnership will allow Donaway to attend team practices, meets, team dinners, special events and more as he's accepted as an official member of the FSU roster.

Team IMPACT is a Boston-based organization that pairs children ages five to 16 suffering from serious or chronic illnesses with college sports teams. Since 2011, Team IMPACT has connected over 1,800 children with teams.

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Donaway is the second child to join an FSU team through Team IMPACT. Grace Kerwin, then 13, joined the FSU women's tennis team in 2017 after she was diagnosed with Juvenile Dermatomyositis, a rare disease that causes muscle weakness.

Through a similar organization, Friends of Jaclyn, the FSU softball team adopted Tallahassee 11-year-old Hayden Stone earlier this year after she was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer found in the soft tissue. She has since gone into remission.

If you know a child who may be interested in partnering with a team, visitwww.goteamimpact.orgfor more information.

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You can reach Curt Weiler at cweiler@tallahassee.com.

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FSU swim and dive team to sign local 13-year old diagnosed with cerebral palsy - Tallahassee Democrat