Former MLS referee diagnosed with Huntington’s

Terry Vaughn is a former MLS referee who worked several high profile events through the years, including the CONCACAF Gold Cup, FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2007 and CONCACAF Champions League in 2009 and 2010 before his dismissal from U.S. Soccer at the end of 2011. He has since helped with referees in Iowa, and the Iowa Referee Academy was renamed the Terry Vaughn Referee Academy in his honor.

It was learned that Vaughn has been diagnosed with Huntington’s Disease, a genetic condition that causes the deterioration of nerve cells in the brain. It has no known cure and is fatal. A fellow referee, Steve Siomos, has started a donations page to help Terry and his wife Kim with the medical costs.

Having seen a degenerative condition within my family, I know that the path Terry and Kim are on is a tough one, and I have donated some money for the cause. And to borrow from Siomos’ writeup in the post, no donation is too small.