He lost his feet and hands to a rare disease but not his passion to play football

Chronic granulomatous disorder generally isn’t on anyone’s medical radar. The disease is characterized by a flawed bone marrow gene that interferes with the ability of some white blood cells to kill off fungi and bacteria. More succinctly, it’s an immune deficiency disorder that can kill.

The disease is rare, affecting 1 in 4 million people. Ten-year-old Michael Stolzenberg of Weston, Fla., is one of the unlucky few. South Florida Sun-Sentinel columnist Dave Hyde provides a look at this uncommon disorder and Stolzenberg’s uncommon life in “Boy lost his limbs, but kept his spirit and his football.”

Read more about chronic granulomatous disorder and the latest research at the British-based Challenging Genetic Disorders Research Trust.

--Mary Forgione, For the Los Angeles Times