Waynesburg golfer battling medical condition, PIAA
It’s difficult enough for most to excel at golf.
Trying to do so with a medical condition that affects one’s hands and feet? Well, that makes it even harder.
Blisters mark the soles of MaCottie Denjen’s feet.
That’s what MaCottie Denjen faces every time he tees up a golf ball. The Waynesburg High School junior has a hereditary condition that produces skin blisters on his hands and feet and can make playing the sport excruciatingly painful.
Waynesburg has petitioned the PIAA for relief in the form of a golf cart.
“We’re preparing a 504 Plan,” said Nicole Denjen, MaCottie’s mother.
A 504 Plan is a plan developed to ensure that a child who has a disability identified under the law and is attending an elementary or secondary educational institution receives accommodations that will ensure their academic success and access to the learning environment.
If the 504 Plan is accepted, MaCottie Denjen will be able to use a cart. If the PIAA rejects the plan, the Denjens have threatened to take legal action.
“I just want him to have a cart,” said Nicole Denjen. “He has a doctor’s script that says he gets severe blisters from walking. It’s not just his feet but his hands, too.”
From previous requests, the PIAA has permitted MaCottie Denjen a pull cart but Nicole Denjen says that does not rectify the situation.
“It doesn’t solve the problem,” said Nicole Denjen. “All it does is cause blisters on his hands.”
Bob Lombardi, executive director of the PIAA, said he is aware of the situation.
“I can’t really comment much further on it because we are not done with it yet,” said Lombardi. “They have provided us with more information and I’m working through that now.”
MaCottie Denjen has a skin disorder, Epidermolysis Bullosa Simplex, which causes the skin to be very fragile and to easily blister.
Blistering primarily affects the hands and feet in mild cases, and the blisters usually heal without leaving scars. Severe cases of this condition involve widespread blistering that can lead to infections, dehydration and other medical problems.
“It starts out as burns and turns into a blister,” Nicole Denjen said. “They have been the size of baseballs. He can barely walk but he goes on. He wants to golf and he wants to golf with his friends.”
A hereditary condition causes blisters on MaCottie Denjen’s feet.
Waynesburg golf coach Jeff Coss said MaCottie Denjen is determined to play.
“He’s a competitor,” Coss said. “He tries to do his best but this is something that is hurting him.”
Coss said MaCottie Denjen’s game is affected by his condition.
“With his feet being so bad, he’s limited to how much he can prepare,” said Coss. “You almost have to save yourself for the competition. He’s a strong golfer. I allow him to ride a golf cart when we practice, but you know how golf season is. We can play four days a week.”