When he was 11 years old, Jack McGovern woke up one day to discover that he had lost the central field of vision in his left eye. His parents immediately sought a diagnosis, met with specialists and learned that Jack had Coats’ Disease — a rare eye disorder that causes the blood vessels behind the retina to leak fluids. It can lead to loss of vision and, in some cases, removal of the eye.

Treatments typically involve numerous laser surgeries for even the youngest of patients. Nearly 75 percent of Coats’ patients are males and more than two thirds are children, some diagnosed as young as 4 months old.

For McGovern, it took four laser surgeries to stabilize his vision. Despite never fully regaining sight in his left eye, McGovern has not allowed Coats’ Disease to hold him back. He has led an active life as a student-athlete, playing football and lacrosse in high school and playing Division I lacrosse for four years at Holy Cross.

US Lacrosse Magazine profiled McGovern in a recent Pacific Southwest regional edition of its publication (“Beacon of Hope,” November 2018). 

Now it’s time to go national.

After his diagnosis, McGovern’s parents vowed that they would do everything in their power to find a cure for Coats’ Disease. The Jack McGovern Coats’ Disease Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit charity, was formed in 2006 to achieve their vision. The foundation’s mission is to raise funds in support of ongoing research and offer all Coats’ Disease patients hope and improvements as they wage a lifelong battle against Coats’ Disease and blindness.

Since 2006, the Jack McGovern Coats' Disease Foundation has:

• Launched a patient registry for researchers to access patient data.

• Created a doctor directory for patients and families to locate ophthalmologists who have experience in treating Coats’ Disease.

• Established the first-of-its-kind Jack McGovern Coats’ Disease Foundation National Tissue Biobank in partnership with the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins Medicine to make tissue available to researchers around the world.

• Partnered with Genentech to discover genetic markers for the disease.

• Established research travel grants for new researchers to attend conferences and learn about cutting-edge research on treatments.

Today, McGovern continues to play lacrosse whenever he can, including in the High Sierra Lacrosse Tournament in Lake Tahoe. He serves on the foundation’s board and makes it a point to speak with other Coats’ patients and their families.

McGovern’s message is simple but powerful.

“You can still do anything you dream of doing even if you have lost your vision or your eye,” he said. “Never give up. Pursue your dreams.”

Support the Jack McGovern Coats' Disease Foundation.