{"id":21803,"date":"2025-10-17T14:44:50","date_gmt":"2025-10-17T18:44:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/?p=21803"},"modified":"2025-10-17T14:44:50","modified_gmt":"2025-10-17T18:44:50","slug":"teen-golfer-raises-over-700k-for-hospital-that-saved-his-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/2025\/10\/teen-golfer-raises-over-700k-for-hospital-that-saved-his-life.html","title":{"rendered":"Teen Golfer Raises Over $700K For Hospital That Saved His Life"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
The Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When Skylar Friedman\u2019s mother went in for a routine ultrasound check before he was born, she wasn\u2019t expecting to get the news that her baby was facing a life-threatening condition. \u201cIt was supposed to be a happy memory of finding out if I was a boy or a girl,\u201d Friedman told The New York Post<\/em><\/a>. Doctors found an abnormal mass in the right lower lobe of his lungs. The mass put him at risk of a heart attack. \u201cIt was a very rare condition that I had. So it was probably the first time they had ever seen it,\u201d said Friedman.<\/p>\n

When he was just 5 months old, Friedman\u2019s family traveled from their Long Island home to Children\u2019s Hospital of Philadelphia for life-saving surgery. There, doctors removed the bottom portion of his lung. The surgery was a success, with Friedman\u2019s connection with the hospital continuing as he goes back twice a year for checkups for asthma and other health conditions. The kindness he has received from the hospital inspired Skylar to do more, who had grown into a golfing whizz, inspired him to do more.<\/p>\n

He approached his golf trainer, Adam Laird, about ways he could give back to the hospital. Laird raised $17,000 for the hospital through a 24-hour golf marathon challenge at North Shore Country Club in Glen Head. After that, the donations continued to pour in. Now 17 and a member of the varsity golf team at Portledge School, Friedman is hoping to do even more. He started a remote \u201c100 Putt Challenge\u201d last year that he hopes will enable his fundraising efforts to go nationwide. Participants pledge a certain amount of money for each 6-foot putt they sink out of 100. It\u2019s something that can be done just about anywhere. To date, Friedman has raised $66,000 through the challenge, with his other years of fundraising bringing that total to over $700,000.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey saved me, so it\u2019s my duty to return the favor,\u201d said a grateful Friedman. Over 1,000 donors are participating in this year\u2019s challenge, with participants playing in twelve different states. \u201cGiving back, it feels like my purpose. If I can reach one person with my story, then it is all worth it,\u201d said Friedman.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When Skylar Friedman\u2019s mother went in for a routine ultrasound check before he was born, she wasn\u2019t expecting to get the news that her baby was facing a life-threatening condition. \u201cIt was supposed to be a happy memory of finding out if I was a boy or a girl,\u201d Friedman told The New York Post.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":516,"featured_media":21806,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21803","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-inspiring-messages"],"yoast_head":"\nTeen Golfer Raises Over $700K For Hospital That Saved His Life<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Born with a rare lung condition, teen golfer Skylar Friedman turns survival into purpose\u2014raising $700K for the hospital that saved him.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/2025\/10\/teen-golfer-raises-over-700k-for-hospital-that-saved-his-life.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Teen Golfer Raises Over $700K For Hospital That Saved His Life\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Born with a rare lung condition, teen golfer Skylar Friedman turns survival into purpose\u2014raising $700K for the hospital that saved him.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/2025\/10\/teen-golfer-raises-over-700k-for-hospital-that-saved-his-life.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Inspiration Report\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-10-17T18:44:50+00:00\" \/>\n<meta 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