Throwing out the first pitch - what a remarkable experience

Hello everyone,

Yesterday is over but it was an amazing experience. I want to thank my family, my friends and all of those with the Suntrust Club and with the Atlanta Braves who were very cordial to me and my family.

We got to the stadium around 6 as I was running a little late. It's a good thing that my wife may be the best driver in metro Atlanta. After running around the stadium, I finally found my contact with the Braves. They sat me down near the dugout and I talked to long time usher and a celebrity in Atlanta, Walter Banks. He knows the history of the Braves like no other.

As I looked at the field, I remembered that day back in June of 1987 when I took the field at Fulton County Stadium for the first time as a batboy for the Braves. None of the players or coaches from that game were in attendance in 2012 and this was even a different stadium but the feeling was similar. I'd watched thousands of games at Fulton County when I made my debut and I'd watched even more games at Turner Field before I made my debut last night. It was a true thrill.

Finally at 6:53pm EST I walked onto the field and waited for them to call my name. I then jumped over the baseline (my salute to Turk Wendell for baseball fans) and got to the mound where relief pitcher Anthony Varvaro would be catching the pitch. I am not going to lie. I was a little disappointed that it wasn't McCann, Beachy or Chipper but I knew Beachy couldn't do it due to his arm (he just had Tommy John surgery) as his agent called but he told me that Beachy was with me in spirit. I thought it was so nice for Rob to call me and also for Brandon to tell me he was behind me for the pitch. Those 2 guys are second to none. Brandon had planned to catch the pitch long ago until he had to have the surgery. I know that Chipper had other obligations and McCann had to get ready to catch. Thanks to Anthony Varvaro for coming out and catching the pitch. I hope you become a big star.

When I got to the mound, I wound my arm in a big circle and reversed my cap (a salute to Bill Murray). I watched about 100 ceremonial first pitches over the last week to get some fun ideas but really the only fun ones I found were guys who couldn't get the ball over the plate. I wanted to make my friends and family proud so I got ready to throw and then realized what a lonely feeling it is on the mound. You can feel every small gust of wind. The mound seems like it's 500 feet away from the plate instead of the actual 60 feet, 6 inches. I was worried I would not make it. It reminded me of being a kid and climbing to the top of the high dive for the first time and thinking how far down the water looked.

Instead of worrying about throwing it over the plate for a strike, I just worried about getting it to Varvaro's glove without it bouncing into the dirt. I had thought about so many funny things I wanted to do like:

a) Doing the double somersault like Aroldis Chapman of the Cincinnati Reds.
b) Running the bases and throwing the ball to the guy catching my pitch and have him try to tag me out ala Bill Murray.
or even:
c) Throwing the ball sidearm like Peter Moylan of the Braves.

You know what. No one was going to remember what I did as long as I got the ball over the plate without bouncing it. Mission accomplished. It was high and outside but it got there. The late Eric Gregg would have called it a strike (a little Livan Hernandez humor there). I have to thank my friend Josh Lembeck for giving me the advice of not aiming; just throw the ball like I always do. That was my thought process when I let the ball go.

It was especially cool to have my kids there and to get all the e-mails and texts from family and friends. I have to say this is the most nervous I've ever been for an athletic event. I always thought that honor would go to the Olympic Torch relay from 2001 but seeing my kids smiling at me and signing I love you made me especially anxious as I did not want to let them down.

I attached a picture of me going out to the mound and another of several of my friends and family who came out to the game. I also attached a picture of the dessert my kids earned for being good last night. Thanks Andrea for taking some amazing pictures and taking a great video which I'll share soon and of course for being an amazing wife. Thanks Emily for getting the amazing seats and for being a wonderful sister. Thanks mom and dad for getting everyone tickets, for being amazing parents and for getting me the opportunity to throw out the first pitch. Thanks to my friends for coming out and supporting me (including my friend Paula who came in all the way from Texas). You witnessed a dream come true yesterday. Thanks to Ethan and Avery for giving me the 2 best kids that a dad could ask for (Thanks Andrea for that as well as you played a big role). I am truly blessed to have all of you in my life.

I hope that everyone has a good weekend.

Andy (the 6th man in the Braves rotation - Fredi, I'm available if you're desperate)

The Peachtree and throwing out the first pitch tonight

Well, it wasn't so much the heat that was difficult yesterday but the humidity. It was a scorcher. The first 3 miles were pretty easy for me but once the hills and humidity took over, I was lucky to run the whole thing. I ran the Peachtree (6.2 miles) in 73 minutes. Earlier that morning, I did an interview with Fox 5 and Buck Lanford. I think it went pretty well. I also got to meet Atlanta mayor Kasim Reed as we talked about the Hawks and how thrilled we both were with the recent trades.

I am attaching a picture of me and one of the winners from yesterday's race. The top 3 runners were all from Kenya which gave me the idea that next year I'll have a shirt that on the back reads "If you're from Kenya and can read this, shame on you for not training better this year."

Tonight I throw out the first pitch at around 6:55pm at Turner Field. I'm excited but nervous too. I'll have about 30 friends there to watch me. No pressure, right?

This has been a dream of mine for years and I'm excited that I can cross this achievement off the bucket list tonight.

I'll let all of you know how it goes. My sister will be taking video.

Thanks again for the support!

Andy

Sweet 16 and a crazy week a comin'

Tomorrow is my 16th Peachtree Road Race. I'm looking forward to it although this will be the hottest Peachtree in recent memory. It's over 100 degrees here in Atlanta. Every year I look at the number of Peachtrees I've done and come up with a significance. My 16th Peachtree will be done in Wendy's memory. After all, she died after just 16 days. I hope as treatments continue to improve and a cure continues to close in that her memory will continue to incentivize researchers to end this disease forever and give so many other children a chance at longer, more quality lives.

This afternoon I'll be throwing the baseball around with my neighbor and his son as I prepare to throw out the first pitch on Thursday. I haven't thrown a baseball in a long time. I play softball but it's quite different. I figure it should only take me 15 minutes to know if the first pitch will be exhilerating or embarrassing.

Today I had to delete my Facebook account as it was hacked into and it was not worth starting over. For those of you who still want to follow my stuff, please go to the Wish for Wendy page. I'll start a new Facebook page in the future.

Today I became a Class of 2012 member of the 40 under 40 for the University of Georgia. Last year I was nominated but did not win. I want to thank my Aunt Loretta for nominating me this year. It's an honor to be one of the 40.

The articles written this week in the Buckhead Patch, the Huntington Post and the Atlanta Journal Constitution were well-written and appreciated. They detailed my journey with CF and the significance the Peachtree has had on my life. I want to thank the writers as well as my PR firm, Hope-Beckham. Here are some of the articles:

http://www.ajc.com/lifestyle/andy-lipman-beats-the-1469181.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/melissa-carter/andy-lipman-cystic-fibrosis_b_1635928.html?


Last night we went to the Braves game with the kids. Avery and Ethan had a good time for the most part but it is difficult keeping kids' attention at this age. I don't think they watched a single batter for the Braves...consider them lucky. We got crushed. The night was a success for them though because they talked us in to getting cotton candy. I still can't believe that Dip & Dots are still around. Technically they did say it would be the ice cream of the future and it is still around so I guess they weren't lying. It's crazy to think that in a few days I'll be taking the mound and fortunately for the Braves, I'll have a pitch count of 1. I wonder what Braves is going to have to catch the pitch. They better stretch first.

I was thrilled to see the trades that Danny Ferry made for the Hawks. He is officially the best GM the Hawks have had and his first official season hasn't even started yet. He got rid of 2 ugly contracts and has put us in position to grab some high caliber talent prior to the 2013-2014 season. CP3 and Superman, come to the ATL please.

I was able to speak at the Atlanta Financial Center to the Atlanta Jaycees last week. I had a great time and really enjoyed the view. The group was terrific and I think I made some really great connections there. I also found out last week that I was named a Board Member at the Terry College Business School at the University of Georgia. I was thrilled to find out that news.

Andrea and I saw Earth, Wind & Fire last week. They were awesome. Andrea, thank you for taking me. I had an amazing time. There's nothing better than hearing "September" at Chastain.

Andrea, the kids and I went to SkyZone last Sunday in Suwanee. OH MY GOD! This is a place where you constantly jump on trampolenes and try to dunk basketballs and jump on walls. I thought I made it through unscathed but even 2 days later my shoulders are killing me, my lower back hurts and my feet feel like I just walked across the sun. I felt better when Avery said she was in pain too. I knew I couldn't blame it on getting older though we all know that it's part of it. Still I think I showed my daughter that her dad can still do flips and dunk basketballs with the best of them (Of course the best of them is me referring to older people like myself with greyish hair and 6 inch vertical jumps).

With my shoulders and back feeling like I lifted a U-Haul and preparing for the hottest Peachtree in years, I just can't wait to see how I feel when I throw out the first pitch. Maybe I'll be the first person to throw the pitch and then throw out my shoulder all at the same time.

I wanted to wish all of you a Happy Independence Day and I hope all of you stay safe in this heat.

Andy

9 days and counting...

Andy

Life has been pretty good of late. I feel very healthy. I have been dieting since December and am down from the high 180's to the low 170's. There is little point in me losing more weight. I'm just trying to stay healthy at this point. I continue to use some of the concepts I learned from P90X and add it to my old work out routines. The Peachtree is only a week away and I think I'm pretty ready. I've been running just about everyday but mostly inside. I'm still playing softball on Monday nights so I'm getting some exercise that way too.

I just finished my month of Tobi and not a moment too soon. I have been exhausted lately. That extra 80 minutes a day of aerosols is not fun. At first, I tried to learn a new video game. Then I tried texting friends. Then I tried recording movies and watching them. Still, it's frustrating sitting there and waiting to complete my meds. The kids spend a lot of time with me downstairs which is nice. Ethan loves to play video games and Avery loves to watch Nickelodeon. Still I'd rather be swimming at the pool with them or taking them outside to play baseball.

Speaking of baseball, I throw out the first pitch in 9 days. I'm getting nervous because I haven't practiced at all outside of playing softball. I'm throwing out the first pitch on July 5, 2012 as the Braves play the Cubs. My neighbor has volunteered to throw the ball around with me. He warmed up his kid who pitched in high school and may some day pitch in college. I'm not quite at that level but I'll give him a few throws.

I found out last Thursday that I was named to the Board at the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia. I was honored to accept this position.

Andrea and the kids are well. Ethan has gotten so competitive. Whenever we run up the stairs, this is what Ethan says, "I won. I was first, Magic (our dog) was second and daddy was last." I used to let him win. Now the kid cuts me off and the dog isn't making any friends. She lets him cut me off and then she jumps on me so that Ethan wins. He must be giving her chicken behind my back and gaining an ally.

Avery is loving camp this summer and is becoming a terrific gymnast. I am amazed at all of the things that she can do at such a young age.

For now, I'm signing off. I'm going to stretch out the arm. 218 hours and counting...

Throwing out the first pitch on July 5th

On Thursday, July 5, 2012, I'm very excited to announce that I'll be throwing out the first pitch at the Braves-Cubs game at Turner Field.

What some of you might not know is the significance of this occasion for me. 25 years ago this month, I was given the honor of being a batboy by the CF Foundation (picture attached). I was thirteen years old and little did I know that was the age doctors predicted my life could very well end. In fact, on September 4th this year, I will have tripled that prediction. I owe a lot of this to donors like yourselves who have worked so hard to make my life and so many others' lives better. I also owe a lot to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation for not only allowing me to be a batboy that June day in 1987 but also for never giving up in the fight against cystic fibrosis.

Today we have Kalydeco from Vertex that is helping CF patients and there are many more drugs in the pipeline. These types of breakthroughs were non-existent back in the eighties.

That June day in 1987, Dale Murphy (the person on the far left in my batboy picture) hit a big homerun to help the Braves win the game. In 2012, Dale Murphy hit another homerun by agreeing to write the foreword for "The Drive at 35." It's pretty neat how the more things change, the more they stay the same.

I wish Wendy could be here to see the progress that is being made to save lives for cystic fibrosis patients but judging by the beautiful weather we are blessed with year after year at Wish for Wendy, I know that she is watching us from above.

I hope that you'll be able to come out on July 5th to see me throw out the first pitch but even if not, if you haven't donated to Wish yet, please do so at http://www.cff.org/LWC/dsp_DonationPage.cfm?idEvent=20587&idUser=348812. Thanks again everyone!

To the day that CF stands for Cure Found.

Andy

A Post on Genetic Screening from a friend of mine

Hi I have CF, But It Will Never Have Me followers. My name is Robin, and I am here to share an important message with all of you: 1 in 4 Jews is a carrier of one of 19 preventable Jewish genetic diseases. Cystic fibrosis is one of the 19 diseases we test for so keep reading!

• Not Jewish? I’m sure you know someone who’s Jewish (a friend? Neighbor? Co-worker?). Also, it’s important to note that the diseases on our panel are more prominent in the Jewish community, but not unique to Jews. For example, CF is common in Caucasians in general, not just Jews.
• In an interfaith relationship? As mentioned, many of th1 9 diseases we test are not unique to the Jews (even Tay Sachs which many think is strictly Jewish, is actually found in the Irish community).
• Don’t practice Judaism/identify as Jewish? It only takes one Jewish grandparent for you to have “Jewish genes” and thus potentially be a carrier for one of these 19 PREVENTABLE Jewish genetic diseases.
• Been screened in the past? We are finding new diseases all the time. If you have one healthy child already but are thinking about expanding your family, you were likely not tested for all 19 diseases and, as such, should update screenings between each pregnancy.
• No family history of disease? All Jewish genetic diseases are recessive, so you and your partner must be a match in order to be at risk of passing it on. A carrier does not show symptoms of the disease, but is rather a healthy person and if two people are carriers of the same disease they have a 25% chance of passing it on to their children.

So, what’s the story? What are these diseases? How are they preventable?

I work for Atlanta Jewish Gene Screen so, for starters, you can check out our website. But, I’ll try to give you Jewish genetic diseases (JGDs) basics. Atlanta Jewish Gene Screen is currently the only organization of its kind. We aim to raise awareness that there are 19 preventable JGDs because, when we first started the organization 2 years ago, a typical person (including the average healthcare professional and the average rabbi) admitted to only knowing about 3 diseases. Two years ago Randy and Caroline Gold, an active Jewish couple in Atlanta, founded the Atlanta Jewish Gene Screen when their daughter, Eden, was diagnosed with ML4. The average ML4 patient will never learn to walk or talk, will be blind by the age of 10, and will likely not live past young adulthood. Randy and Caroline knew to get tested (something that I stress because not every Jew does know this and thus doesn’t actively request it from their doctors). Nonetheless, Randy was tested by his Jewish doctor for only 2 diseases. Caroline was only tested for 8 by her Jewish doctor. Randy and Caroline didn’t know what they didn’t know. Their doctors didn’t know what they didn’t know. Turns out they carry 3 diseases between them, but are only a match on one—ML4. They have one healthy child, 6 year old Natanel, and little Eden, 4 years old, who has Mucolipidosis type IV. Today they have a healthy third child, Shai who they had through in vitro (see below when I discuss ways of preventing these diseases).

So, as Randy would say, Eden is here to save lives; her story will save lives. Randy and Caroline set out to inform everyone about the number of diseases on the Jewish panel (at the time they started the organization 2 years ago, there were only 18 diseases, by the way). So, I am here to write Eden’s story on Andy’s blog in hopes of sharing her story, a story that Andy knows all too well, and to help prevent others from going through similar struggles.

We hope to inform every doctor and have them test for all 19. We hope to inform every rabbi and hope that the rabbis will counsel their congregations, particularly the young couples who are married/getting married and therefore at risk of passing these diseases on as they start families. We hope to inform the population at large—we know that not every pregnancy is planned and thus by the time you get to the doctor it could be too late. We also know that not every Jew is affiliated with a synagogue or gets married by a rabbi. So, we head to local festivals, happy hours, etc and hope to education everyone, particularly those in their 20s and 30s who are at risk of passing these diseases on. These diseases are preventable, but only if you get screened in advance and can take action accordingly. So, in addition to the educational component of our organization, we also host a number of community screenings a year and inform people how to get screened for the full panel of diseases by their doctors or though us if they can’t make it to a community screening date. We have also advocated with insurance companies and we’re happy to announce that right now, the cost of screening is only $25 if you have insurance (it was thousands of dollars when we started 2 years ago). A simple blood test is all it takes to learn if you’re a carrier—spread the word and get tested! Knowledge = options.


What are the options for prevention?
The most common and exciting way to prevent JGDs is through in-vitro fertilization. Through a process called PGD (pre-implantation genetic diagnosis) an embryo made from the mother’s egg and the father’s sperm (note that if you are gay and considering egg or sperm donation to have a child, this information is important for you to know as well) can be tested when it is just 8 cells. Because, as I mentioned above, each pregnancy has a 25% chance of having the disease, an embryo can be tested and one of the 75% /healthy embryos can then be implanted in the woman. 100% your child, 100% JGD free this is how Randy and Caroline conceived Shai). Other options include egg or sperm donation, surrogacy, adoption, or trying to conceive naturally and terminating a pregnancy if needed. Atlanta Jewish Gene Screen provides genetic counseling to discuss all of your options should you be a carrier match with your partner. You can marry who you want, you can have healthy children no matter what. You just need to get tested to be sure.

I think that covers the basics of JGDs. See a list and information on all 19 JGDs on our website.

Here’s a summary:
1. 1 in 4 Jews is a carrier of one of 19 PREVENTABLE Jewish genetic diseases
2. It only takes one Jewish grandparent for you to potentially be a carrier
3. A carrier is a healthy person
4. Not every doctor knows about all 19 so request all 19 when you go to get tested
5. A simple blood test is all it takes
6. This information is important for Jews, non-Jews, gay and lesbian couples, those in serious relationships and those who are single, those who have a healthy child(ren) but are considering expanding their family—everyone should know this information!
7. Knowledge = options

I hope you found this post interesting and informative. Please keep in mind that knowing you are a carrier for a JGD is GOOD news because it means you can prevent having a diseased child. Spread the word. Get tested, and don’t hesitate to contact me if you have questions. Robin Harpak: rzharpak@gmail.com. Thanks, Andy for allowing us to reach a few new people via your blog. Thanks to all of Andy’s followers for helping us spread the word!

My little miracle in sooooooo many ways

My daughter Avery took the bus to camp for the first time this morning. Andrea videotaped it and sent it to me. While the video only lasted 30 seconds, the miracle of Avery Leah Lipman going to camp today has taken far longer...let's say nearly seven decades. Thanks to one special man, Avery got on the bus this morning.

My lucky number has always been six and it's been difficult to explain why, however; this morning I thought of the six miracles that occurred to get my daughter to camp this morning. Let's start from the beginning...

Miracle One began in Europe during World War II

My Nana Rose and I were talking last night about her perils during the Holocaust. I mentioned how I read my cousin Andrea's emotional story about her battle and she said her time there was more awful than anyone could write it. She said it was so horrible. She watched as friends and family were shot and killed. She hid under clothes. She saved a baby whose parents were shot and killed. She came to the United States without skin on her arms from the disease and bacteria that existed while they waited for help. My grandmother was a survivor of the Holocaust. You can read my cousin's beautiful letter on my Mother's Day blog. My grandmother escaped Nazi Germany by hiding within the walls of a truck. She said a Russian man built a second wall for her and my grandfather to hide in. The Nazi soldiers checked the truck and somehow did not hear them. That was the first miracle that got my daughter to camp because my grandmother at that time was pregnant...with my mom Eva.

Miracle Two began in the early seventies

My mom and dad had Wendy in the winter of 1970. Little did they know that Wendy would have cystic fibrosis. Wendy only lived 16 days. Had she survived (which I wish she would have) I may never have been born because it's always a risk to have 2 siblings with CF and there was a 25% chance I would have CF. Losing Wendy was devastating for my parents. I know they considered not trying to have me because it was risky to try to have another child that could have cystic fibrosis. They could have chosen to adopt at that point. Still they went ahead and tried to have me. That's another reason my daughter boarded the bus this morning.

Miracle Three began in 1973

I was born with cystic fibrosis in September of 1973. Doctors told my parents I probably would not see my teens meaning it was virtually impossible for me to have children myself. The dream of having Avery was just that...a dream.

Miracle Four began in 1993

I'd given up on life as a sophomore and even a junior in college and considered suicide. What was the point really? I was living with a disease that was killing me minute by minute every day. Then at the lowest of lows, I played in a basketball game that would change my life and perhaps change my death.

Miracle Five began in 1999

My doctor had informed me that male patients with CF had a 2% chance of having a child. I decided to get tested. That year I found out that I was not able to have children...officially.

Miracle Six began in 2005

After repeated attempts to get pregnant through In Vitro Fertilization, Andrea and I decided we'd give it one last shot. We knew our odds weren't the greatest but it was our dream to have children. That year we found out that we were pregnant.

Avery Lipman was born February 17, 2006 marking a truly amazing journey, one that she today knows very little about but I will be sure to tell her as she gets older that six miracles occurred to get my six year old on the bus.

Avery shouldn't be here today.

I shouldn't be here today.

My mom shouldn't be here today.

My grandmother shouldn't be here today.

The thing is that all of us are here because of the amazing deed of one special man who let my grandparents hide in his truck. I'll never know his name nor do I know if he is even alive today yet I owe him my life and I am indebted to him forever.

Thanks to him, little Avery went to camp this morning.

I hope that everyone is well.

Andy