DIFFERENCE MAKER: Sam Buck
from WCBSAM: On-Demand
SA: IF YOU WANT TO SEE 13 YEAR OLD SAM BUCK FROM GREENWICH, CONNECTICUT LIGHT UP JUST MENTION HIS FAVORITE SOCCER TEAM, CHELSEA AB: HE LITERALLY IS THE HAPPIEST CHILD YOU'LL EVER MEET. SA: THAT'S SAM'S MOM, ALLYSON BUCK. SAM KEEPS ON SMILING IN SPITE OF A RARE GENETIC CONDITION, VANISHING WHITE MATTER DISEASE, THERE'S ONLY 250 CASES IN THE WORLD AB: HIS DISEASE IS PROGRESSIVE AND ITS CAUSED HIM TO LOSE MOTOR CONTROL. HE HAS PARTIAL USE OF HIS LEFT HAND RIGHT NOW. SA: BUT THAT DOESN'T GET SAM DOWN. AB: HE COULD NOT BE HAPPIER, HE ALWAYS HAS A SMILE ON HIS FACE. HE ALWAYS BEEN THE HAPPIEST KID YOU'LL EVER MEET. JUST THE TINIEST THINGS BRING HIM SO MUCH JOY. SA: TINY THINGS LIKE WEARING MISMATCHED SOCKS. THE BUCK FAMILY STARTED A FOUNDATION YEARS AGO. THEY HOLD FUNDRAISERS LIKE MISMATCHED SOCK DAY IN GREENWICH SCHOOLS THEY RAISED MORE THAN HALF A MILLION DOLLARS AND THERE ARE NOW TWO CLINICAL TRIALS. AB: THE REALITY IS NEITHER OF THOSE CLINICAL TRIALS SAM'S NOT GOING TO ELIGIBLE BECAUSE HE'S TOO FAR GONE. AND THE REALITY WITH HIS DISEASE IS ONCE YOU DO LOSE MOTOR AND WHITE MATTER YOU CAN'T GET IT BACK. BUT I THINK IT DOES EASE SOME OF THE PAIN KNOWING THAT OTHER FAMILIES DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH WHAT WE HAD TO GO THROUGH SA: SO THE FUNDRAISING CONTINUES INSPIRED BY SAM'S INDOMINABLE SPIRIT. AB: HE'S KINDA TAUGHT US TO APPRIECATE ALL THE LITTLE THINGS AND WE DON'T WORRY ABOUT WHAT OTHER FAMILIES WORRY ABOUT. SA: IN GREENWICH, SEAN ADAMS WCBS 880 NEWS
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