Thank you for visiting our Fundraising page! We have now officially survived running the team relay in the Hartford Marathon, in 5 hours and 3 minutes! If you would like to see pictures of the big day, please visit the website Uncle Tim created at http://teamnoelle.com

We ran in honor of five year old Noelle, who has Prader-Willi Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that affects many aspects of day-to-day life.  As infants, those with PWS often have poor muscle tone, “failure to thrive”, and global developmental delays.  As children pass through the preschool years, other characteristics that persist into adulthood become more prevalent, including short stature, cognitive disabilities, problem behaviors, and incomplete sexual development.  PWS is the most common known genetic cause of life threatening obesity in children.  The hallmark characteristic of the syndrome is involuntary and chronic feelings of hunger in combination with a slowed metabolism.  

When Noelle was first born, it was an overwhelming and terrifying time.  We did not know what the future held or if she would even live.  Initially learning her diagnosis did nothing to lessen those feelings.  However, getting connected with PWSA(USA) gave us information, connections with other families who had been through the same experience, and a spark of hope.  Over the past few years, we have been fortunate to continue this relationship with PWSA(USA) and to work with excellent service providers for Noelle.

We have been blessed to watch Noelle grow and achieve things we never could have anticipated when she was first born.  She is a beautiful, loving little girl who always seems to know who needs a hug.  As her family, we chose to run this marathon to increase awareness of PWS and to give back to the organization that has offered such support.  We are also hopeful that we can encourage other families dealing with PWS (or any other disability) to persevere and hang in there.  There can be so many blessings from having a child like Noelle as part of your family!

We ran the team relay in the Hartford Marathon ( Connecticut ) on Saturday, October 13, 2007.  “Team Noelle (PWS)” is made up of Mom Amy (Wells) McDougall, Grandma Lynda Wells, Aunt Erin (Wells) Hicks, and Aunt Stephanie (Wells) Whitacre.  We would appreciate your sponsorship in supporting PWSA(USA).  Donating through this site is simple, fast, and secure.  Donations may be anonymous if you wish.  If you would like to make a donation offline, please make your check payable to PWSA(USA) and mail to:  Amy McDougall, 24 Bunny Drive, Fulton, NY 13069.

Thank you so much for your support!

If you would like to learn more about Prader-Willi Syndrome, please visit www.pwsausa.org for the National Alliance's webpage.

You can also visit  the New York State Alliance's webpage at http://prader-willi.org. Since creating this page, some wonderful new opportunities have arisen in NY, with the partnering of the Genetic Disease Foundation with Mt. Sinai Hospital to create a position for a genetic research position for PWS key among them.

If you would like to get in touch with me directly, my home phone number is listed on the NYS Alliance's Board of Directors page.