Welcome to my Personal Fundraising Page.
Most of you already know that Autism is a subject that is very close to my heart. Our daughter Chloe started out in the world the usual way. She smiled at her mother while she nursed, she made coo sounds and jabbered, she followed her brother around the room with her eyes, and she napped with her daddy.
Around 7 months of age, Chloe had her first seizure. There were many that followed. Chloe’s development continued at the normal rate until several months after her first birthday. It is hard for us to judge when that changed. Eventually she was tested and labled as being on the Autism Spectrum. In retrospect, we realize that she had even lost some speech and communication that had previously been emerging.
Our precious Chloe, who turned 9 this past May, now functions in many areas at the level of a 2 year old. Although she is very loving and has a good sense of humor, she lacks conversational communication. She does however make good eye contact and is quick to give a hug or kiss to those she loves.
Parenting Chloe is both a wonderful blessing from our Maker, and a difficult challenge. The Organization for Autism Research (OAR) works to help families through these challenges. The essence of OAR’s mission is to provide practical answers to parents, teachers, and caregivers through applied research, not just theories. They develop research that examines the effectiveness of current treatments and methods as well as exploring new techniques. OAR funds studies that offer new insight to individuals and families that are affected by autism. This information will help families and educators with the decisions and challenges they face everyday. The focus of this organization is in the now, with an eye on how these autistic persons will be able to live and function though adulthood.
So shortly after I ran my first marathon this spring, I decided to sign up for the Chicago Marathon. While on their website, I noticed the phrase “Make it more meaningful.” This piqued my interest, and as I scrolled through the list of charities, I came across one about autism. This really plucked my heart strings and I knew what I had to do.
I haven’t really done fundraising before so it is a little scary. But as a goal -oriented person, I am really excited about not only my time goals for the race but also my fundraising goal. I can only do it by the Grace of our LORD JESUS CHRIST and by the help and support of those whose lives have been touched by our precious Chloe K.
Thank you for visiting my Personal Fundraising Page. Donating through this site is simple, fast, tax deductible and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to make a contribution to my fundraising efforts. Many thanks for your support -- and don't forget to forward this to anyone who you think might want to donate too!
If you would rather donate by check, make checks payable to OAR and put “Jeff Rayburn” in the memo. Then email me at jeffandsusie@nwiis.com and we will figure out the best way to get it from you.
May God Bless You.