Dear Friends, Family and Co-workers,
Thank You for visiting my fund raising page. I invite you to join me in supporting a very special cause: The Friends of LADDERS (FOL).
Our friends & neighbors' son, Alec Turgeon, has been diagnosed with PDD-NOS, Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified, which is part of the Autism Disorder Spectrum. Alec has been evaluated and is followed at the LADDERS Clinic. Between services and school, Alec has made tremendous progress over the past years.
Over the past 4 years, I've watched Alec's Dad, Marc, train hard and complete the Boston Marathon to support Friends of LADDERS. I always found it inspiring to see Marc working so hard - running and raising funds - to support the cause and honor his son. Unfortunately, Marc has had two knee surgeries in the past year. Well, this year I'm taking Marc's place on the Friends of LADDERS marathon team while his knee heals. I feel honored to have been asked to run in his place. I asked Marc "How has LADDERS made a difference to your family?". Marc told me LADDERS was the best possible place for Alec to have been evaluated and that he and Alec's mom, Tracey, feel that they always have been given the best advice for providing the right support for their son. The marathon team is raising funds so that other families will have the opportunity to receive the same care and support. The Turgeon's are very committed to supporting LADDERS. This year I'm adding my commitment.
LADDERS (Learning and Developmental Disabilities Evaluation & Rehabilitation Services), is part of the Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, and is a multi-disciplinary clinic dedicated to helping those with neurobiological disorders.
Children affected by autism has become so widespread (1 in 150 individuals is diagnosed with autism, making it more common than pediatric cancer, diabetes, and AIDS combined) that the LADDERS clinic can not currently accept new patients. Your support will help relieve this overwhelming stress on the system and possibly allow other parents to have the good fortune of knowing they are doing everything possible for their child. To learn more about the LADDERS program please visit (www.ladders.org).
This will be my first Marathon and I could really use your support! I have set an aggressive fundraising goal of $5000.00 while increasing Autism awareness. With your help, I hope to surpass this goal in spite of the current economic climate.
Thanks again.
Sincerely, Paul Flynn
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!