When life bites, age offers no immunity

Yesterday Toronto FC announced the retirement, due to a serious heart problem, of their youngest player Zac Herold. He was Toronto's first draft choice this past January and is 17 years old.
This blog has never been much in the area of medical expertise, so I will skip the name of the condition and  any attempt to explain it. It must be serious when it prevents a young athlete from pursuing a playing career.
It is easy to envy the life of the pro athlete. Money, lifestyle, fame, talent and glory just seem to abound. Then something such as this medical affliction comes along to alter the life of a young athlete and the make-believe aspect of cheering for a team falls to the side.