UPDATE May 5, 2008: Hey everybody! I just want to let everyone know how it went. Despites some issues with my feet (I hate blisters!), I was able to limp over the finish line and am proud to say "Mission Accomplished!" It was a thrill to be able to accomplish this goal and your support was a great motivator during the hardest times of training and the actual race. I had the added once-in-a-lifetime moment of running the final 100 feet with my girls, Sara and Loretto, with my wife and our unborn child on the sidelines cheering us on (or was that gas?). I posted a great picture on my other fundraiser website. We'll leave the great photo of Gitta on this page. Go to http://www.firstgiving.com/jeffreysenkeleski-mdf
to see a photo of my finish with my helpers.
Meanwhile, thanks so much for everyone's support and donations on behalf of Gitta. I know Elizabeth and Mark and the Northwest Behavioral Associates Inc. are likewise very appreciative and touched by everyone's generosity. This site will remain open and donations can continue to be made up through July 4th, so if you know of anyone else who might be interested in helping, please pass it on.
Thank you for visiting my fundraising page!
Donating through this website is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to support 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! Your donations will be made to Northwest Behavioral Associates Inc. on behalf of Birgitta ("Gitta") Pottle, the daughter to my good friends Elizabeth and Mark. To get to know a little bit more about Gitta, her parents have provided the below short bio:
Birgitta (Gitta) Pottle was born on September 28, 2003, in Seattle , WA .
On all accounts, she arrived healthy and ready to rule the world. This changed very quickly when we were met early on with uncertainty, with an uneasy feeling that something was not quite right with how Gitta was developing. Informally, we started down this the road with Gitta at 3 months until she was formally diagnosed with ASD at 17 months.
Since 17 months, Gitta has received educational services in the areas of ABA , Speech, and OT/PT. She also became a participant in an early intervention study through The University of WA’s Autism Center . We were fortunate to secure ABA home services from Northwest Behavioral Associates (NBA) early on in Gitta’s diagnosis. Through these services we have continued to see an upward trajectory in her progress. We continue to work with NBA and we remain steadfast in the hope that she will continue to improve.
When Gitta turned three, we made the move to Princeton , NJ for public school services where she still continues to make progress. Upon our move east, we also introduced biomedical treatments into her therapy. In addition, we have just recently begun a social skills group in Maplewood , NJ . This all makes for one very busy four year-old.
Our move east was a tough adjustment for our family, but with the introduction of good public school services, the continuation of a strong ABA home program, and biomedical treatments it has proved to be the right move for Gitta’s continued well-being.
Gitta went from no language at 2.5 years old to identifying a plethora of sea animals at four years old. She is a very happy little girl who loves her books and her music, as well as to play with mommy and daddy, to color, and to build puzzles.