Class of 2013: Muskego Teen Helps Children Fight Illness

Andy Stasik’s dreams of owning a golf course go beyond the love of the game.

For Andy, golf has been his one and only shot at being a high school athlete.

“It is a game that you can play all your life,” Andy said. “With my medical problems, I have been actually able to play golf, unlike other sports. I got really into it.”

Andy, a Muskego resident, was about 1 years old when he was diagnosed with severe combined immune deficiency. As a young baby, his upper body muscles were attacked, leaving permanent damage.

“I lost most of my muscles in my hands,” Andy said. “I can’t open my hands at all.”

But he hasn’t let his disability slow down his path to graduation. Andy will receive his diploma Sunday at Catholic Memorial High School.

“I try to do everything a normal kid does,” Andy said. “I try to find ways around it and just keep working at it. It usually takes me a little longer than someone else to do.”

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Andy was honored on Friday with the 2013 Molly Burke Courage Award – a $250 scholarship given to a Catholic Memorial student who has overcome a serious illness while working toward graduation.

The biggest challenge in high school, he said, has been the inability to use his hands.

“I can’t really give high fives. It is hard shaking hands,” Andy said. “I wish I could play baseball and maybe basketball but because of that, I can’t.”

Andy is also receiving the award because of his work giving back to the community.

Andy raised more than $50,000 for Children’s Hospital participating in Al’s Run and Walk. When he was younger, he said, he would go door-to-door to solicit donations. Now he uses the power of social media to drive his fundraising campaigns.

“The hospital helped save my life,” Andy said. “I figured to give back, maybe I could help save someone else’s life.”

Andy’s spirit has been noticed by more than just friends, classmates and faculty at school.

“Andy has made an imprint in my life that allows me to continue to live my faith each and every day,” his older brother, Wesley, said in a news release. “I hope his story will continue to inspire people.”

Andy will attend Southwest Technical College in the fall to pursue a degree in golf course management.

The Molly Burke Courage Award is named after Catholic Memorial soccer coach and English teacher John Burke’s daughter. Molly continues to fight against acute lymphoblastic leukemia. She was diagnosed with the disease in February 2009 at age 2.

Molly plans to graduate from Catholic Memorial in 2025.

The Molly Burke Courage Award is also made possible by the Holy Apostles school community in New Berlin and the Condit family in Pewaukee, according to a Catholic Memorial news release.

See Related:

• Support System Eases Burden (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
• Class of 2011: Faith Helps Teen Overcome Illness, Loss (Catholic Herald)
• Class of 2012: Catholic Memorial Senior Gets Back To Life (Waukesha Patch)
• Muskego Teen Plays All-Star Game for Safe Haven at Children's Hospital (Muskego Patch)