High school football player McCaulley McGuire doesn’t let his isovaleric acidemia keep him from playing the game, reported Times Free Press. Diagnosed with the rare disorder when he was only 7-days-old, he was told his chances of living a normal life were slim, let alone his chances of shining on the football field. Yet, he surely proved everyone wrong.
Isovaleric acidemia, also known as IVA, is a rare disease when the body cannot process proteins normally, leading to an excessive buildup of isovaleric acid. McCaulley has to be incredibly cautious when it comes to consuming protein, which means he cannot eat chicken, eggs or anything high in protein that most athletes would eat on the regular. Most individuals who have IVA are vegetarians and have to supplement their lack of protein intake with protein drinks and pills. The lab he attends gives him a specific medical drink that fulfills his deficiency. To learn more about IVA click here.
Luckily, McCaulley hasn’t faced any growth defects and he still weighs in at a strong 225 pounds and rises to a tall 6′ 3″. His size was a dream come true for Silverdale Baptist Academy’s coach Al Rogers. As soon as they met he knew he would be a star in the defensive end and offensive tackle. While Rogers saw him a star on the field, everyone quickly learned he was bright spot even beyond the sport.
Over the years McCaulley has met others struggling with the disease and those experiences really put his situation into perspective. He knows things could be much worse and that he’s incredibly blessed to get to play the sport he loves when others with disease will never get the chance. Yet, playing football is so much more than personally defeating the disease, it’s about playing for everyone else who still struggle with it. He plays for them rather than himself and he’s proud to do so.
The McGuire family is the ultimate support system, helping him manage his medications and dietary restrictions. Both parents understand the demands of maintenance, as well as understanding the potential episodes that could happen even when the disease is probably treated. From this, they have McCaulley still visit Vanderbilt for yearly check-ups.
McCaulley of course still has to stay on-top of his regiment for maintaining his protein intake, but the discipline he’s learned from managing the disease translates directly to the field as well. Playing at the next level is definitely on the radar, and we all can happily cheer him on to get there!
