The Mark of a Champion: Willy Dawson (N.Y.) is living proof that a diagnosis doesn’t define what’s possible

Photo: Willy Dawson represents Duanesburg High School in New York.

Editor’s note: This story originally appeared in the July 2026 issue of WIN Magazine.

By Tristan Warner

My son, Rockston, or Rocky for short, was born with something called a venous malformation in his upper lip, nostril and behind his eyelid. Venous malformations occur when veins develop abnormally and gradually stretch and grow over time. They can be painful or sensitive and often become more prominent when pressure in the venous system increases, such as during physical activity or even while crying.

My wife, Jessi, and I have spent a great deal of Rocky’s first four years of life seeking out and receiving medical advice, insight, treatments and monitoring for Rocky’s VMs. About a year ago, Jessi got connected with Dr. Linda Rozell-Shannon (PhD), the president and founder of the Vascular Birthmarks Foundation (VBF).

While discussing Rocky’s condition at length and mentioning our family tie to the sport of wrestling, Jessi asked Dr. Rozell-Shannon if she had ever encountered anyone in her 30-plus years at the helm of the organization who participated in wrestling despite the potential danger and discomfort of doing so with a condition like what Rocky was born with.

That question eventually led me to Willy Dawson, a rising senior from the Albany, N.Y., area whose journey in wrestling has made him a role model for young people navigating life with vascular birthmarks.

Willy was born with a Port Wine Stain (PWS), a vascular birthmark that often appears as a dark pink or purple discoloration on the face. The VBF website mentions that a PWS occurs in approximately three out of every 1,000 births and also emphasizes that the condition is not a cosmetic issue but a “disease with potentially devastating psychological and physical complications.”

Although Rocky’s venous malformations differ from Willy’s PWS, both fall under the umbrella of vascular birthmarks and face many of the same challenges of diagnosis, treatment and public awareness.

Dr. Rozell-Shannon, also based in the Albany area, happened to stumble upon the Dawson family one Sunday in church.

“I’ve been going to the same Christian church for 30 years, Grace Fellowship,” Dr. Rozell-Shannon said. “One day I saw Will and his son. I saw he had a PWS in an area that was at risk for Sturge-Weber Syndrome (SWS).”

Rozell-Shannon emphasized that, in many cases, people are not told their child is at risk for Sturge-Weber that can lead to seizures or glaucoma.

“I showed him my card and asked if he had been treated. He was around 11 or 12 at the time, and because of puberty, it had already started to get thicker and darker.

“Nobody in the Albany area treats them, but we have a free clinic in October with a free hotel, free ultrasound and free Sturge-Weber evaluation, which thankfully came back clear. I told them they could get two free treatments a year based on where our free clinics are.”

Will Dawson, Willy’s father, feels enormous gratitude for Dr. Rozell-Shannon flagging him down in church. His wife, Willy’s mom, Erin, has also been an “angel” in handling all of the medical obligations behind the scenes, much like my wife Jessi has done for us.

“She (Dr. Rozell-Shannon) chased me down one day and was asking me all about his face. I was blown away. We started going to their New York City super clinic every year. It is now part of his story.

“It opened up his eyes to a whole world of people going through similar things. He had been misdiagnosed, and my wife didn’t know what it was and it was devastating not really understanding it all.”

Willy endured bullying and insensitive comments from a young age, so his dad thought wrestling could be a positive outlet.

“We tried every sport with him,” Willy’s father said. “I was hoping he would gain confidence. The way I look at it, being a one-on-one sport, he has a lot of God-given talents.”

“Willy’s dad got him involved in wrestling to help him discover his own superpower,” Dr. Rozell-Shannon said. “When he wanted to wrestle and he came to our clinic, Dr. Anne Comi, one of the top in the world for SWS made sure nothing was on his brain, so he was okay to go. He would be cautioned not to wrestle if he had intracranial involvement. 

“If you cut a PWS, it will bleed more than regular skin but will still clot. It just takes a little longer. Wrestling is a great outlet for these kids, though. It teaches respect.”

Dr. Rozell-Shannon explained that curing a PWS is not really the goal. It is more like maintenance.

“It is about 50% gone for Willy. If he wanted it 75% gone, he would need to do weekly treatments for about a year. It depends on the depth of the capillaries. We have seen patients get 100% clearance, and we’ve seen none, but most consistent patients can get 80%.”

As a junior, Willy placed fourth in his section, falling by just one point in the third-place match. He has his sights set on qualifying for the New York State Championships as a senior despite his later start in the sport.

He trains at Curby 3-Style Wrestling Club with Joe Uccellini, who WIN featured in a 2025 USA Wrestling Coach’s Corner story. Uccellini said, “Will is top notch. He is a high-character young man who continues to excel in this sport. He is a coach’s dream when it comes to coachability. I take pride in the development of wrestlers. He checks all the boxes on and off the mat.”

Willy has ambitions to wrestle collegiately at a military school, as he wants to serve his country. Wrestling, he insists, has been a catalyst for instilling within him self-belief and self-assurance.

“You are earning everything instead of a team thing,” he said. “I represent myself more through my birthmark. With any achievement I earn, it shows I am no different than anyone else.

“It has built me up a lot. I can do anything if I put the work in. Wrestling really boosted that confidence even more.”

Dad Will has seen it firsthand.

“I see grown men still struggling with it, but this kid is walking around like a celebrity encouraging people and coming out of his shell.

“God made him this way, and there is a reason. Through this wrestling experience, I remind him of this for life, business, relationships, etc., people remember watching his match. He looks just like the rest of the kids except for the birthmark. He is easy to remember. That’s a golden ticket. The birthmark is just for him to stick out and use those talents.”

As for Willy, a double Honor Society inductee, he strives to set an example not only through wrestling but through the way he carries himself every day. Thanks to his connection with VBF and Dr. Rozell-Shannon, he also knows he has an entire community standing behind him.

“It has shown me that there are tons of people who have gone through the same or even worse situations than I’ve gone through,” Willy said.

Dr. Rozell-Shannon, who has spent more than three decades advocating for, researching and supporting individuals with vascular birthmarks, hopes families know they are not alone.

“We know that 60% of these are misdiagnosed because it is not taught in medical school,” she said. “Doctors mix them up all the time. If anyone’s child has a birthmark, contact VBF at birthmark.org and ask an expert to identify the birthmark type through reviewing images. We have the top experts in the world. We won’t even laser without doing an ultrasound first.”

For my wife and me, Willy’s story is about far more than wrestling results or medals. It is proof that a diagnosis does not have to define a child’s future. Every parent hopes their child will grow up with confidence, resilience and belief in themselves. Watching Willy navigate adversity while pursuing his goals on the mat offers a powerful reminder that challenges can become strengths.

And for parents like us raising children with vascular malformations, that may be the most inspiring victory of all.