Thursday, May 28, 2015

Against All Odds...

The onset of SMA (Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 1) is gradual at first. Every story I have encountered describes a normal pregnancy with a health baby, kicking and moving before making into the world. They pass every test and go home with their newly excited, scared, loving parents. Then, around two months later, these adoring parents notice that their baby is developing slower than average, often to point that their beautiful baby is no longer able to move. After a long testing period of three weeks, the results return, giving a poor prognosis of fatality before two years of age. With extreme at-home medical care that resembles a hospital more than nursery, some continue their lives as Cashel and Allie have.



I have never met Cashel or his sister, Allie,  but I have spent many days learning about them and their disease. The story of these two shows that they are two of the most spirited souls afflicted by SMA... especially since it is the LEADING GENETIC KILLER for children under the age of 2. Defying all odds, Cashel recently turned 18, while his sister is 16. Through strong determination, Cashel has taken it upon himself to spread knowledge about SMA to every person he can. He hopes to continue to bring attention to SMA in order to gain more exposure and, therefore, more research so that a cure can be found.



The daily struggle for Cashel and Allie has touched us at Paper Clouds deeply. Although we know that what we do won't find the cure to SMA, we do know that we can help them, their parents, and everyone else affected by SMA. Our goal for this short crusade is to help Cashel's family afford a new bathtub that will be built for Cashel and Allie.  This new tub will give them enough room to perform their physical therapy and assist their parents with the strain of moving these two young adults. You can show the world your support with a small purchase from PCA and help Cashel SMA It Forward!


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