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| Ella Sabine Casten Born: June 10, 2010 Diagnosed with SMA Type 2: August 12, 2011 Illinois Walk-and-Roll: June 10, 2012 |
We were looking ahead to Ella's 2nd birthday and wondering what we could do to celebrate her time thus far with us. In the midst of it all we found ourselves thinking about how fortunate we are to have Ella in our lives. She's a tender, bright soul who fills everyone she meets with joy and hope.
Families of SMA (FSMA) is sponsoring an "Illinois Walk-and-Roll" fundraiser for the advancement of treatment and cure research for SMA. This event is taking place on June 10, 2012...Ella's 2nd birthday.
"Perfect!" we thought. What better way to celebrate the life of Ella than to attend the event alongside the lives of all of the kids and families affected by SMA. What better way to bring people together, raising awareness, raising funds, and raising the possibility of finding treatments and a cure for this disease?
Our family has been so very fortunate to have received so much support from so many people. There have been prayers, thoughts, cards, gifts, fundraisers. People have shown us goodwill, shared meals, given us shoulders to cry on, and provided laughter to ease the stress. Heartfelt hugs and reassuring glances have surrounded us as we journey with Ella.
Upon further thought we decided it would be fun to join FSMA as one of their teams participating in the Illinois Walk-and-Roll Event on June 10, 2012!!
Our team name is ELLAwareness for SMA and we would be honored to have your support.
Support comes in many ways, such as thoughtful words or encouraging notes; a monetary donation to FSMA through our ELLAwareness Team; or joining us on June 10th to "walk-and-roll" with hundreds of others.
We have found that awareness is the fuel that drives the engines of success toward treatment options and a cure. The
National Institute of Health (NIH) and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) have selected SMA as the disease closest to treatment of more than 600 neurological disorders. We can help fuel that awareness.
We encourage our readers to share Ella's story with others to help spread awareness of SMA. It's through this sharing that we can make a difference for those still fighting after a loss, those currently fighting to stay alive, and those whose time to fight is yet to come...for all, we can make a difference.
Please follow the provided link if you would like to make a donation to "ELLAwareness for SMA" or to join our team.
Thank you,
The Casten Family
