August 19th, 8:00pm-10:00pm. Boundary Bay is honored to hold a fundraiser to help a family from Bellingham raise money for the Spina Bifida Association. The event is in honor of a little boy named Sammy. Live music will be played by The Popoffs, $5 cover. There will be raffle drawings at 9:00pm with prizes donated by local businesses and members of the community. One raffle ticket is included with cover, and additional tickets for $3 each, or 5 for $10. We encourage members of the community to come and join us for this inspiring and significant occasion.
Sammy was born in Haiti just over four years ago. When an unexplained bump arose on his face, villagers advised that his parents to let him starve to death, unable to treat his ailment. Sammy’s birth parents courageously decided to do otherwise and brought their son to a United States-run clinic where medical staff could help him. His condition was serious. Sammy had a form of Spina Bifida, a birth defect in which the backbone and spinal canal do not close before birth. His was a rare form, where the opening was between his eyes. The results of this birth defect are life changing, strenuous, and often tragic. Thankfully, Sammy was able to obtain donated care and received two surgeries by an outstanding medical team in Sacramento, CA. He was hosted by Jeremiah and Kimberly, and Kimberly accompanied Sammy during his stays in California. Later he was adopted by them and became the youngest of five children. Sammy B. is now a patient at renowned Seattle Children’s Hospital where he is scheduled for another surgery on September 18th, 2012.
Christella
Six years ago, Jeremiah and Kimberly became more aware of how Spina Bifida can effect children. When they met two young Haitian girls with Spina Bifida, Christella and Helande, their lives were forever changed. They have met several other local families with children born with Spina Bifida. Kimberly and Jeremiah have actively chosen to help raise money to help others with this debilitating condition. Now you can help them out too, by educating yourself about Spinda Bifida, by spreading awareness, and attending Team Sammy B’s fundraiser.
Helande
Spoken in the words of Kimberly herself: “So that brings me to running. Why? I am pushing myself. I have been focusing on getting into shape, and setting challenging goals for myself. I want to raise awareness and support for something dear to my heart. I also want to help others with Spina Bifida. I want every time I feel my foot hit the pavement to feel gratitude that I can walk and run without the help of a walker or wheelchair. I want to be an inspiration to my children, family and friends. So here I am, pushing myself farther than I ever thought I would go. Signing up to run a half marathon. In Miami. And my husband is joining in and training with me!”
In order to run in this race, Kimberly and Jeremiah have committed to raise $6500 for the Spina Bifida Association. They kindly ask for your support and donations. Here is the link to their page:
Jeremiah and Kimberly
Spina Bifida is the most commonly occurring, permanently disabling birth defect in the United States. It affects over 166,000 men, women, adolescents, and children across the nation. Spina Bifida occurs when the spine of a baby fails to close properly in the first month of pregnancy resulting in an opening in the spinal column. Those who are born with Spina Bifida live with the challenges of conditions like hydrocephalus (fluid on the brain), full or partial paralysis, bladder and bowel complications, learning disabilities, depression, deadly latex allergy, and social issues. There are 65 million women of childbearing age in this country, and all are at risk of a Spina Bifida pregnancy. It is imperative that all of them know that by taking 400 micrograms of folic acid every day, before they become pregnant, they can reduce the risk of having a baby with Spina Bifida by up to 70%.
