The Woodlands College Park Senior Zachary Berger to be Honored with Courage Award from the Lymphatic Education & Research Network

THE WOODLANDS, TX -- Zachary Berger, a senior at The Woodlands College Park high school, will be honored with a Courage Award at the Global Run/Walk to Fight Lymphatic Diseases (www.lymphwalk.org) in Boston on May 15th, 2022

Zachary suffers from lymphatic malformation (LM), a rare disease that consists of non-malignant masses with fluid-filled cysts thought to be caused by the abnormal development of the lymphatic system. There is no cure and little awareness, even in the medical field. He’s been through eight surgeries, all before the age of 11. In 2015 he became the Texas Youth Ambassador for the Lymphatic Education & Research Network (www.lymphaticnetwork.org) and in 2018, he and his family started Zac’s Attack for a Cure (www.zacsattack.com).

“There is no one more deserving of this award than Zachary and it is an honor to be able to present him with it. Zachary has been a warrior his whole life and he has made a tremendous impact globally through our organization since the age of 12. He has been a shining light for so many with his transparency, authenticity, and great attitude,” said William Repicci, President and CEO of the Lymphatic Education & Research Network.

“I’m honored to receive the Courage award from LE&RN, but not because I did anything special, but because it gives me and my family another opportunity to continue to raise awareness of lymphatic malformation and hopefully make others who suffer from it feel like they are not alone,” said Zachary Berger. “Even though I had some rough times when I was young, I feel very lucky to live a relatively normal life and I want to help others understand that LM is something you have, it’s not who you are.”, Berger concluded.

In addition to this award, Zachary and his family are excited to announce that Zac’s Attack for a Cure has become an official chapter of the non-profit Lymphatic Education & Research Network. Zachary and his dad, Marc are the co-chairs of the chapter. This is the first chapter that is specific to a lymphatic disease rather than a state or country.

There are two ways to get involved:

• Join their Global Run/Walk team (you don’t have to go to Boston): https://give.classy.org/zacattackforacure

• Become a supporting member with a one-time or recurring donation: https://lymphaticnetwork.kindful.com/?campaign=1090282

For more information about Zachary, you can go to www.zacsttack.com and follow him on social media: Facebook: /zacsattack, Instagram: @zacsattack4acure, Twitter: @zacs_attack.

About the Lymphatic Education & Research Network

The Lymphatic Education & Research Network (LE&RN) is an internationally recognized non-profit organization founded in 1998 to fight lymphatic diseases through education, research, and advocacy. With chapters throughout the world, LE&RN seeks to accelerate the prevention, treatment and cure of these diseases while bringing patients and medical professionals together to address the unmet needs surrounding lymphatic diseases, such as lymphedema, lipedema, lymphatic malformations and vascular anomalies.

For more information, please visit https://lymphaticnetwork.org.