BELLEFONTE — Fate can sometimes change a person’s life in an instant.
Take the example of Bellefonte High School senior track and field star Zane Hummel.
Hummel had just graduated from Bellefonte and was on his way to Penn State’s Smeal School of Business and the Nittany Lion track team when suddenly everything changed.
On Sunday morning, July 6, he was driving his motorcycle when a car pulled out in front of him as he was entering an intersection.
He did not have time to stop, and the ensuing accident left him severely injured and in a hospital.
He endured multiple surgeries, blood transfusions, and ultimately, the amputation of his right leg below the knee.
The accident forced him to defer his enrollment at Penn State and concentrate on healing and his changing path forward.
But Zane is not giving up on his dream of competing at the highest levels.
Penn State does have the resources to help him train after such an injury, but Zane needs something more.
To really compete, he will need a specialized, high-performance prosthetic along with top-level therapy—none of which is covered by standard insurance.
While insurance will help with a basic prosthetic, it will not provide what Zane needs to compete.
It was estimated that the sport-specific prosthetic and rehabilitation could cost more than $75,000, so Zane and his family decided to help raise the money through a Gofundme account.
So far, the results have been very encouraging. With a goal of $30,000, Zane has raised over half, $15,000, and is well on his way to seeing his sporting career begin all over again.
According to Gofundme spokesperson, Madeline Purdue, Gofundme, “has become instrumental in democratizing access to youth sports. The numbers tell a compelling story. Over the past 15 years, GoFundMe has facilitated more than $250 million in sports-related fundraising, with 3.3 million donors supporting everything from Little League teams to Olympic hopefuls.
“Access to youth sports is increasingly out of reach for many families, largely due to rising costs. We see this reflected in thousands of fundraisers dedicated to youth athletics.”
And Zane’s situation seems to fit perfectly with the methods and goals of the sports Gofundme.
According to a Youth Sports Business Report, “Many coaches and parent volunteers lack professional fundraising experience. By providing templates, AI-assisted writing tools, and automated sharing features, the platform empowers grassroots organizers to run campaigns that rival professional fundraising efforts.”
It remains to be seen how well Zane can perform once he is outfitted and trained with this high-level equipment and training.
But it will give him a chance. The rest is up to him.
For information or to donate, visit gofundme.com/f/help-zane-jump-into-his-journey-with-a-sports-prosthetic.
