Mar 05, 2023

Muscular Dystrophy, A Huge Smile and a Short But Great Story

Sam Osborn's great story began not only at birth, but again when he was diagnosed with congenital muscular dystrophy at a very young age.

Despite the diagnosis, Sam and his family refused to let the disease hold them back. They were determined to elevate Sam's Story despite the challenges- and that they did!

From fishing trips to mountain trips, Sam and his family lived an adventurous life.

"We like to travel a lot as a family and so we started taking the LIVE A GREAT STORY flag with us everywhere. It became a thing where every time we went on a trip, one of my kids would go, 'Do we have the flag?' It's a great way to make memories and remember where we've been."

"When Sam passed away, we were trying to think of a great way to keep his memory and legacy alive. We knew at Sam's celebration of life there would be a lot of people and we were trying to think of a gift that they could take away to remember Sam. Our family decided that the LIVE A GREAT STORY flags would be an amazing gift."

The Osborn's gifted the flags with cards that explained to people of importance of the flag and how to use them to honor Sam.

"We were overwhelmed by the response. People who weren't even at the funeral wanted a flag. It''s been a really fun thing for us to be able to do out of something that was very sad for our family."

Friends and family have sent in hundreds of photos.

When Sam was first diagnosed with congenital muscular dystrophy, the Osborn's found support in the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Wanting to give back and help other families affected by the disease, they started fundraising for MDA when Sam was just five.

Their first event was a block party on their street, complete with games and food, which raised an impressive $20,000.

They continued this tradition for eight years, with the event growing larger and more successful.

As Sam grew older, he made the decision to switch things up and host a yearly golf tournament fundraiser instead.

The 2022 Golf Tournament was especially meaningful for the family, as it was the first one without Sam in attendance but present in spirit.

The sold out event raised $256,000 for a total of $531,000 to date.

The outpouring of support from the community is a testament to Sam's impact on those around him.

LIVE A GREAT STORY founder Zach Horvath attended the golf tournament and spent time with Sam's mom Nikki and the whole 'Osborn extended family' celebrating Sam's GREAT STORY.

A photo contest was held for who could take the best LIVE A GREAT STORY flag photo and the entries were hilarious!

The Osborn Family remains committed to giving back and making a difference.

They plan to continue hosting "The Sam Osborn Memorial Golf Tournament" to celebrate Sam's life and continue contributing to MDA fundraising.

LIVE A GREAT STORY feels honored to partner with them in order to amplify the impact of SAM's GREAT STORY!

17 years with Sam was not long enough....but his legacy lives on!

May Sam's GREAT STORY continue to inspire us all as we seek to find beauty and victory despite our daily challenges.

Sam's mom Nikki says it best. May you be elevated by her comments in this podcast:

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