Save the Date.. May 30, 2009

Purpose for my Efforts...

“I haven’t always done a good job, and I haven’t always been successful – but I know that I have tried.”  - George Steinbrener

    I am very different from many youth adults. I have been forced to mature quicker due to my family’s position with Huntington's Disease. I’ve grown quick and I know the risks of Huntington's Disease. My father has now been living in a nursing home for almost 4.5 years. My father has been sick with Huntington's Disease since I was in Kindergarten so all my life I've only known a sick father. Huntington’s Disease (HD) is a Genetic Neurodegenerative Disorder.
    In the summer of 2005, I chose to make a difference, even if it was only going to be a small one. I decided to make hygiene baskets for HD patients. Due to the chorea HD patients are unable to keep good hygiene and struggle to obtain things that are stuffed away in cabinets and drawers. The plan was for the baskets to assist the patients by having everything right in front of them at easy reach.
    My mom was extremely supportive, she called the Danbury New Times and they came to our house and did a story on my project and HD. The story was placed "above the fold" on August 23^rd, 2001 with the headline of “Girl Goes to Bat for disabled father”.
    The Community was so supportive, we received a majority of the basket contents as donations.In the end I had assembled over 100 baskets. We gave 35 baskets to patients in the two units at Terence Cardinal Cooke Health Care Facility in New York City. The rest of the baskets were left at the HD Clinic at the Columbia Presbyterian Hospital.

    All through high school I had based many projects on raising awareness of HD. When senior year had arrived, I chose to base my Senior Project on HD, raising awareness and funds for a Cure. I never thought that I would have time to raise awareness in College, little did I know my senior project would be turned into an Family run Annual Event.
    My senior project consisted of many parts, the awareness assembly, the keychain sales and the First Annual Benefit Dinner.
 

    I continue to raise awareness and funds for a cure for Huntington's Disease not only because I've watched my father's illness progress all my life but also because my brother, cousins and I are all at risk. As well as many other children of Huntington's Disease Patients, and HD is a devastating disease not only taking the lives of adults but also young innocent children.

“To be successful, you have to have your heart in your business and you business in your heart.”  - Thomas John Watson, Sr.

Maher Family
P.O. Box 580     Sherman, CT 06784
CureHD2006@aol.com
860-355-3382       Melinda's cell ~203-241-9216