After tragedy, Lake in the Hills couple helps sick kids

Doctors told Bob and Stephanie Vitner their youngest son, Andrew, born three months premature and diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, wouldn't last a month.

Andrew lived eight months at Children's Memorial Hospital before he died two years ago this Sunday.

In his brief life, Andrew's resilience impressed his parents and his doctors, who never expected that Andrew, at three months, would be able to breathe without the aid of a ventilator.

"He really had the odds stacked against him," Stephanie Vitner said. "It was a testament to the character he had ... that he was able to do things these amazing doctors would never have (expected)."

Inspired by their son, the Lake in the Hills couple in 2006 started the Andrew J. Vitner Foundation. The foundation, also called Andrew's Army, helps the Chicago hospital where Andrew spent his entire life and the families of sick children.

"We started the foundation to carry on his legacy and honor his fighting spirit," Bob Vitner said.

The foundation's major fundraiser is the Andrew J. Vitner Memorial Golf Outing. The second annual event, an 18-hole golf tournament for teams of four, returns Aug. 2 to the Pinecrest Golf and Country Club in Huntley.

Since it raised $7,500 last year, the foundation hopes to top $10,000 this year.

"I think we'll do that easily," Stephanie Vitner said.

The tournament is full, with 97 golfers registered, up from 52 last year.

"We're blown away," Bob Vitner said. "To almost double the participation in golf is just amazing to me."

The foundation also holds a number of smaller fundraisers throughout the year and participates in the Great Strides walk for cystic fibrosis.

The foundation estimates it has raised $37,000 since it was founded in October 2006.

The money goes toward Children's Memorial Hospital, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and local families with sick children.

In 2007, the foundation donated to the families of Taylor Radtke, the Johnsburg girl whose brain tumor was successfully operated on last year, and Teagan Haniszewski, a Huntley girl diagnosed with a brain tumor last year.

To learn more or find out how you can help, visit andrewsarmy.org.