Jermaine Stafford’s vision has been cut in half, but his coaching eye remains strong.
The Lutheran track and field boss, a former Olympic sprinter and NFL practice squad player, recently went blind in his right eye due to severe glaucoma. It’s one of two significant health battles the sprinting coach and local trainer has been dealing with since May’s state championship track meet, as kidney disease is also taking its toll on the 51-year-old.
“I always tell other trainers (in my work at UPSWING in Centennial) that your coach’s eye is so important,” Stafford said. “Well, it’s even more important now for me because I only have one of them.”
Stafford underwent ankle surgery shortly after May’s state meet at Jeffco Stadium to address a blood clot in his lower leg. That was the start of what’s been a trying time for Stafford and his family, which includes his fiancée, Tess Ryan, and their five children.
The coach has been dealing with glaucoma and kidney disease for a couple of years now, but both conditions worsened over the summer. Stafford had two surgeries on his right eye in a failed attempt to save its vision. Currently, between his eye and his kidney issues, he’s spending about $1,000 a week seeing various medical specialists. And another eye surgery, this time on his left eye, is on the horizon.
A GoFundMe over the summer raised about $17,000 for Stafford to help cover medical expenses, but that was only a dent in what Stafford is paying. Stafford says his family is cutting back on spending, such as eating out, and that he’s been selling items in his home to make ends meet. Tess has also been pulling double shifts multiple times per week at her restaurant.
“I can’t work like I usually work, which is killing me,” Stafford said. “It’s not only killing me financially, but it’s just killing me mentally because I’m usually heavy into training (during the summer and fall), getting a lot of athletes ready for football season. But I couldn’t do it because I’m fatigued. I’m tired. I’m just exhausted. So that’s been the biggest strain on the family.”
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Stafford, who previously coached at Fairview and Valor Christian before landing on Lutheran’s staff 12 years ago, is adamant that he will remain the Lions’ head track coach come spring. Stafford just finished his first season as the program’s head coach, at which point all his medical issues escalated.
While he remains the performance and director at UPSWING, he’s also taken on an adjusted role there that involves less direct coaching but more workout planning and training of other trainers.
“I can tell you that I will coach even if I can’t see,” Stafford said. “I’m fully throttled with coaching. I mean, I need that right now. I need the community. I need the ‘community church of Lutheran.’ I’m going to do everything I can to be ready for the spring.”
For anyone looking to assist Stafford and his family amid mounting medical bills — which could drastically increase should Stafford require dialysis, which could be a realistic possibility soon — his GoFundMe page remains open. But he also emphasizes that the spiritual and emotional support he’s received in abundance means a lot as well.
“I’m in a situation where, financially, my family needs that sort of help,” Stafford said. “But I also need support and prayer, because I’m a big believer in that, too.”
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