BIOGRAPHY
Zachary Berger is 22 years
old from Conroe, Texas. He
works as a sports
reporter/anchor in Monroe
Louisiana, and is a graduate
of Oklahoma State University.
Zachary suffers from a rare
disease by the name of
lymphatic malformation.
Lymphatic malformations are
rare, non-malignant masses
consisting of fluid-filled
channels or spaces thought to
be caused by the abnormal
development of the lymphatic system. These malformations are usually apparent at birth or by two years of age and Zachary’s were diagnosed at birth. There is no cure and many unknowns about proper treatment with too many misdiagnoses.
Ambassador for the Lymphatic Education & Research Network
In 2015, at the age of 11, Zachary became the Texas Youth Ambassador for the Lymphatic Education & Research Network (LE&RN), a global non-profit organization that is headquartered in New York City. Around that same time, he organized his first fundraiser and awareness campaign in the form of a baseball hit-a-thon, raising $5,000 for LE&RN. Since that time, he has hosted LE&RN's Live Stream LymphWalk for 3 consecutive years, sold t-shirts, held fundraising events, and did a 10-hour live charity video game stream on Twitch.
Zac’s Attack for a Cure
In 2018, Zachary and his family started Zac’s Attack for a Cure as a way to amplify his voice and “Attack the Cure for Lymphatic Malformation”. All donations to Zac’s Attack for a Cure are either donated to LE&RN or put back into t-shirts, stickers and other supplies, which are sold to raise money for research.
The mission for Zac’s Attack for a Cure is to spread our message of hope and compassion while raising awareness and funds for research for Lymphatic Malformation. We are taking the offensive and believe that a single action can make a difference.
Zachary has also attended, participated in and even spoke at LE&RN walks in Plano, TX. He was invited to the Washington D.C. walk, where he was going to be the keynote speaker on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, but due to COVID-19, the event was cancelled. He followed that up by sharing his story with Congress electronically and spoke to Congressman Kevin Brady of the 8th Congressional District of Texas on the phone to urge him to help create a National Commission on Lymphatic diseases and include “lymphatic diseases” as a category eligible for study in the Department of Defense (DOD) Peer-Reviewed Medical Research Program.
Rare Disease Legislative Advocates
Zachary is a member of the Young Adult Representatives of Rare Disease Legislative Advocates (RDLA). In October of 2020 he was named as a finalist for a 2020 RareVoice Award. The nomination is in the category of Federal or State Advocacy: Teen, for going above and beyond to impact policy change for the rare disease community.
APPEARANCES & ADVOCATING
Zachary has also attended, participated in and spoke at LE&RN walks in Plano, TX. He was invited to the Washington D.C. walk, where he was going to be the keynote speaker on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, but due to COVID-19, the event was cancelled. He followed that up by sharing his story with Congress electronically and spoke to Congressman Kevin Brady of the 8th Congressional District of Texas on the phone to urge him to help create a National Commission on Lymphatic diseases and include “lymphatic diseases” as a category eligible for study in the Department of Defense (DOD) Peer-Reviewed Medical Research Program.
Through his efforts, Zachary has been fortunate enough to be interviewed and featured in the following places:
-
KPRC 2 Houston Life Interview with Joe Sam
-
Fox 26 Houston morning show hosted by Melissa Wilson and Jose Grinan
-
Great Day Houston on KHOU Houston hosted by Deborah Duncan
Zachary’s public speaking engagements have included:
-
Lymphatic Education & Research Network Walk in Plano, TX (2011)
Zachary has raised thousands of dollars for LE&RN and been a friend through social media and a voice for all those who suffer from lymphatic malformation.
