Maryville teen fighting against rare disorder to help the homeless

BLOUNT CO., Tenn. (WVLT) - Bryson Potts looks and acts like a typical teen, but the 14-year-old technically is one in 125,000. He has Kearns-Sayre Syndrome, which is a rare neuromuscular disorder that slowly progresses over time.

“It affects my hearing, vision and my muscles,” Potts said.

Instead of getting ready for his new life and using a walker, he’s lending a helping hand to the East Tennessee homeless population.

He and his mom are starting a giveback project called “The Sharing Hands.” The idea came from a car ride with his mom.

“He made the comment like, ‘If I get to grow up, I want to help,’” Gina Scott, his mother, said. “I said ‘Honey, if you want to help these kids, you don’t have to wait until you get older. We can do it now.’”

Less than a week later, they had storage that is filling up with donated hats, blankets and hygiene kits.

While Potts said he typically experiences a lot of pain, he hasn’t felt any discomfort during his efforts.

“I think the adrenaline of excitement has masked everything,” Scott said.

Bryson has several drop-off locations for donations across Blount County.

His goal is to have enough kits to give to 100 people by the holidays. Just look for the Sharing Hands signs or visit the Foothill Bridal or Lynn’s Bridal inside Foothills Mall. You can also donate through the website.

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