I was recently having breakfast with six friends on the patio of the Roadrunner Grill in SaddleBrooke One. I was telling my friends about my first grandson Ari, born in December in Singapore. He unfortunately was diagnosed with Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS), a rare but devastating genetic disorder. I told my friends that my son was starting a fundraiser to support the Foundation for Prader-Willi Research, which has been doing cutting-edge research to improve the lives of children with PWS and their families.
Just at that moment, a stranger sitting at the next table walked over and handed me a $50 bill. He said he overheard what I had been saying about the fundraiser and wanted to be the first to contribute. He refused to tell me who he was. He said he wanted to do his bit to make the world a better place. Everyone with me was incredibly moved. My eyes welled up in tears. Others I was sitting with actually cried. It’s amazing the kindness of strangers in SaddleBrooke.
PWS is a “genetic disorder that occurs in approximately one out of every 15,000 births,” according to the PWS Foundation. It affects males and females, as well as all races and ethnicities, equally. It is caused by a missing chromosome, not by a genetic disorder in either parent. Early intervention can help significantly. For example, my son is giving baby Ari daily injections of growth hormones, which will improve his muscle development. Research into these various treatment modalities is the kind of work that the Foundation for Prader-Willi Research is supporting.
Again, I was incredibly moved by this anonymous act of charity by a SaddleBrooke resident. If you would like to contribute to the Foundation, go to www.gofundme.com/little-ari-big-fundraiser-pws-research. The Foundation for Prader-Willi Research is a registered nonprofit, and all donations are 100% tax deductible.