The 11th Annual Lauren Tenney
Memorial Golf Tournament
On October 22 & 23, 2023
At Bentwater Yacht and Country Club
For those of you who do not know, Vascular Ehlers Danlos (VEDS) is the condition that largely contributed to Lauren's death and was passed on to her son, Andy, when he was born. In past years, our little tournament has donated more to our chosen VEDS charities than anyone else. We so want to make it so no one has to lose a loved one because there was not enough research on treatment or common knowledge of the signs of VEDS. We are so lucky to fill our tournament and dinners each year with such generous friends, while having a competitive tournament and lots of fun in Lauren's name.
Tournament Details
Our tournament will be the same as in year's past. A two-day, two-person scramble.
Sign up early! In the past few years we have had a long waiting list! Please check back with us in mid-June for more information.
If you'd like to be a volunteer, or if you have any questions, please call Carol at (936)520-9330 or email us at tenneygolf@gmail.com.
Andy is a smart, sweet, and silly 11-year-old. He was born to Lauren Tenney
before she passed. His Daddy, Drew, later married a wonderful woman
named Ashley, and Andy now has four loving siblings (Jackson 14,
Grayson 12, Kellan 7 & Halle 5) . They all live happily together in
Montgomery, TX.
Since birth Andy had some confusing physical characteristics, such
as easy bruising and hyper-flexibility. After extensive testing and
months of hospital and doctor visits, Andy was diagnosed with vEDS
or Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome in October of 2015.
Shortly after his diagnosis, Andy fell down while running and subsequently
ruptured his bladder. He was taken by ambulance and underwent emergency
bladder repair surgery. His recovery took several months including time in ICU and
numerous visits to different specialists to find a specialized treatment plan for him.
Andy is the ONLY documented patient with vEDS to survive a bladder rupture repair procedure...in the world! His story is now documented in medical journals in hope to help doctors understand more about vEDS and save someone else.
vEDS is the most serious form of Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, and is incredibly rare. vEDS is a genetic disorder that affects the connective tissue, characterized by thin and translucent skin, easy bruising, spontaneous organ ruptures, and arterial, muscular, and intestinal fragility.
There is no treatment for vEDS. There is no cure for vEDS. Life expectancy is shortened with a majority of individuals living only into their forties, many only into their teens. We recently learned that Andy is one of the more severe pediatric patients with vEDS documented.
Realizing that Lauren had all the same physical characteristics of vEDS, our family agrees that Lauren most likely had the same cruel disorder and it contributed to her passing. Unfortunately, like Lauren, most individuals don't discover they have vEDS until it is too late. More clinical research is needed to find treatment and eventually a cure. We continue to raise awareness and funds for vEDS research along with college scholarships through our annual golf tournament. Please pray for our sweet and loving Andy and his family as they help him continue to grow up living with the unpredictability, uncertainty, and complications of vEDS.
Steve and Carol
The Lauren Ovelgonne-Tenney
Memorial Scholarship Fund & Golf Tournament