MS doesn't stop an LPGA caddy

If you visit the John Hammons Golf Tournament this weekend, it's easy to see why people love to play the game. Beautiful courses, nice weather, and fun with friends. <br/><br/>For awhile, golf caddie

Friday, September 16th 2005, 3:30 pm

By: News On 6

If you visit the John Hammons Golf Tournament this weekend, it's easy to see why people love to play the game. Beautiful courses, nice weather, and fun with friends.

For awhile, golf caddie Heather Drew thought that world might be lost when she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. But she perseveres, and as News on 6 reporter Steve Berg tells us, she wants others to know they can too.

9 years ago, when one whole side of her body went numb, Heather Drew knew she was in trouble. "To say that I was a little mad? Yeah. Upset, scared, a lot of those emotions were in me." Heather had MS. At the time, she was playing on the LPGA tour herself, but she says the MS was not the reason she stopped playing, what was it? "My bad golf." Actually she went on to play 3 more years with MS and for the past 6 years, she's been a caddie, but she never publicly talked about her disease until now.

In fact, you'd never guess as she lugs a 50 pound golf bag all around the course. And that's exactly the message she wants to send. "I didn't want my MS to stop me from achieving some of the goals that I had and that's what I would like for people out here in Tulsa to know that and that they don't have to let their disease stop them."

Heather's type of MS can fortunately be controlled with daily doses of a drug called Copaxone. "And it's between an injection and a health diet, which is a little dicey on the road, but I do the best that I can." And exercise.

We wondered, as a former pro, if she was ever tempted to take the clubs away and take the shot herself. Sherri Turner: "I'm sure she did today, it was a rough day today." Heather: "Noooo." This caddie definitely carries on. Sherri Turner: "She's great and I think she sets a really wonderful example for people who have MS and other things. I'm diabetic myself.â€ Heather: "We're a good team."