Erica Kielty's Fundraising Page
Thank you for visiting my fundraising page for Illinois Neurofibromatosis Inc!
As many of you already know, my 12 year old sister Ali was diagnosed in June, 2007 with Neurofibromatosis Type 2 (NF2). NF2 is a rare neurological disorder that causes tumors to grow due to the lack of a protein that suppresses tumor growth. Though they are benign, people with NF2 can develop these tumors in the brain, spinal cord and throughout the body. As the tumors grow and press on the nerves, it can lead to deafness, balance issues, vision impairment, seizures, paralysis and sometimes life-threatening conditions. Currently, the only treatment for children with NF2 is surgical removal which poses great risk, so we need to find a cure for NF2!
On Jan. 29, 2008, Ali underwent surgery to remove a tumor from her right ear. While the facial and auditory nerve were left intact, she still lost the hearing in that ear. Currently, she has a tumor in her left ear which is being carefully watched and she has three other tumors in her brain as well as a multitude of spinal tumors. Every MRI brings the threat of tumor growth or new tumor development.
Donating online is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to support our fundraising efforts. However, if you would rather donate offline, please go to this webpage and print out a donor form
http://nfmidwest.org/files/Donor_Form.pdf. Fill it out and be sure to include “Erica Kielty/Ali’s Gaitors” as the Participant Name and “Team #916” as the Participant Number. Then mail in your donation to NF Inc. Midwest, PO Box 1923, Lombard, IL 60148. Donations sent in before the date of the walk (June 6) count towards our fundraising challenge (Top Ten Fundraisers) but ALL donations (regardless of when they are received) go towards NF2 research and support of NF families.
Many thanks for your support -- and don't forget to forward this to anyone who you think might want to donate too!
Thank you!
Erica, John, Lucas, Ashley & Amanda