FOXBOROUGH, Mass. —The Foxborough School Committee has approved naming a new athletic field at the high school in honor of the former student who died of a rare genetic condition that accelerates the aging process.
The committee voted Monday to name the field in honor of Sam Berns, according to The Sun Chronicle
Berns died Jan. 10 after a fight with Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome. He was 17.
At Foxborough High School, he achieved highest honors and was a percussion section leader in the band.
Berns’ battle drew national attention, inspired professional athletes and spurred medical research.
He was the subject of an HBO documentary, “Life According to Sam.” The exposure brought greater recognition to the condition, which causes musculoskeletal degeneration, cardiovascular problems and other symptoms associated with aging.
The town’s first artificial turf playing field is scheduled for completion in the fall.
Copy the Story LinkSend questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.