Wyckoff Boy Battling Conditions Helps Friend Defeat Cancer

WYCKOFF, NJ — Peter Schuh can't be stopped.

The three-sport Wyckoff athlete is a 4.0 student at Eisenhower Middle School. He plays football, lacrosse and basketball.

But Schuh's tenacious behavior extends beyond the playing field and classroom. It knows no bounds.

Schuh helped raise more than $4,600 for Payton Sargenti, a local girl who had cancer, but was declared free of the disease a few weeks ago. He wants to hold another fundraiser for her soon. He is also a volunteer assistant coach with the Wyckoff Pee Wee Recreation program.

Payton Sargenti/Gofundme

Schuh has done all of this while battling Eosinopilic Esophagitis, an inflammatory condition of the esophagus. The condition makes swallowing solid foods difficult. He was diagnosed in fourth grade. He also has celiac disease, asthma and severe food allergies.

"At that point in my life, I was really doubting myself and out of sports for a long time," Schuh said.

The condition has not stopped him. Schuh was named a champion of the month by Parisi Speed School, where he is a client, and he continues to succeed on the field.

Schuh has also worked with the Ramapo College softball team to raise awareness of the condition and wants to hold another fundraiser for Payton soon.

"We are so proud of who he has become in spite of his rough beginning," Schuh's mother Colleen said. "He is living life to its fullest and healthy. We didn't know if he would be able to play sports again let alone at the level he is competing at."

Email daniel.hubbard@patch.com. Get Patch breaking news alerts sent right to your phone with our new app. Download here.

Photo: A YouTube screenshot of Peter Schuh, a Wyckoff teenager who was diagnosed with Eosinopilic Esophagitis.