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A Star Studded Night for a Family in Need

Posted: Oct 26th 2006 By: CMBurnham

Sports stars with preternatural athletic strength did a good turn last night for a family that faces each day with the strength of optimism and simple grace.

The Hamad family lives in a rental in Willowbrook that was nearly destroyed in a fire last December, sending them on a hotel-room odyssey.

The three-bedroom home has since been repaired and they have moved back, but without handicap-accessible ramps and showers, lifts and widened hallways, it will never really be a home to this family of seven children -- the eldest of whom, Mahmoud, died in 2004 of muscular dystrophy, the disease that has put two of his brothers in wheelchairs.

More than 200 people gathered at a fund-raiser at the Hilton Garden Inn, Bloomfield, to mingle with the New York Jets' Shaun Ellis, pro wrestler Mick Foley (Mankind) and daytime TV actors, score autographs and bid on sports paraphernalia to advance what had been Mahmoud's dream: A home where he could bathe himself in a real shower and have a room of his own.

The charismatic Mahmoud died a year after graduating from intermediate school, a casualty of a severe form of the progressive disease that ultimately kills by stopping the lungs.

"I have a lot faith in God. I believe there's a reason for everything," said Noha Hamad, about how she has handled circumstances that might have buckled others. "I have got to have that laughing spirit. If you don't, it is too difficult."

Each day, she gives sponge baths to her sons Abdel Kareem, 15, and Ahmed, 11, because their home cannot accommodate the wheelchairs.

The longtime members of the national Muscular Dystrophy Association were introduced to grid stars Ellis and John Abraham and grappler Foley through the organization six years ago, and the relationship with the stars has only deepened.

With the help of the celebrities who dedicated their time, and the Mid Island Rotary Club, which organized the fund-raiser, last night's event brought in what is expected to be thousands of dollars, and brought the family close to the dream.

"Sometimes it's hard to pick and choose whom you're going to help," said Ron Mannanice, South Shore Rotary Club member, referring to the multitude of charitable causes Rotarians can pursue. "Once you meet this family, there is no choice. To meet the children and see their smiles is all you need."

About two dozen signed football helmets, jerseys and photos from sports heroes past and present lined the wall of the banquet hall. Among them were autographed pictures of running back Jim Brown, Arnold Schwarzenegger (before his foray into politics), golf's Tiger Woods in the bloom of youth and Willie Mays making his famous 1954 World Series catch.

A signed note from Muhammad Ali, written in February 1980, summed up with uncanny clarity the spirit of the evening: "Service to others is the rent we pay for our room here on Earth," the boxer wrote in looping script on a page next to a photo of him in his prime. "Enjoy Life. It's later than you think."

"It's not like I am saying, 'Why am I here, why am I created like this?'" said Abdel Kareem, a student at Susan Wagner High School who hopes to attend the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan, as he held court from his electric wheelchair, dressed in a smart pink oxford shift and gray pinstriped slacks. "I am trying to live my life. I have got to face life."

Kareem's spirit, and that of his late brother Mahmoud and the entire family, has been an inspiration, said the Jets' Ellis.

"They have helped change my life. ... It makes me more grateful. They are like family," he said, as he signed cards, footballs and jerseys for dozens of young fans.

"It's nice to see the community come out like this," said Foley of World Wrestling Entertainment, who also has known the Hamads for years through the organization. "They've been through so much, they should at least have a proper roof over their heads."