Chelsea opens her eyes every morning confronted with a new day of challenges and frustrations. Chelsea was diagnosed at the age of five with Friedreich's Ataxia (FA). FA is a life-shortening, debilitating, and rare neurogenetic disorder. Specific symptoms include loss of strength and coordination in the hands, arms and legs, slurred speech, reduced vision and hearing, scoliosis, heart disease, and diabetes. FA usually leads to full-time wheelchair use and death in early adulthood.

Chelsea, now a beautiful 13-year-old girl, continues to battle this disease daily. Chelsea is now legally blind. She can no longer do any activities most of us take for granted, such as self-feeding, bathing, brushing her teeth, brushing her hair, or dressing herself. This disease has robbed Chelsea of her independence, her dignity and her pride. Remarkably, despite the grim scenario painted above, Chelsea is cheerful, happy and loving. The disease progresses with time and there is no treatment or cure. Chelsea's family and friends have watched her suffer with this illness as each year brings new challenges.

Anyone who has ever met this little girl knows that she is lit from within. She has a heavenly glow about her and would want people reading this to think she's just as happy in her wheelchair as she would be on the soccer field or on a dance team. Chelsea has said that in her dreams at night, she always sees herself in a wheelchair. Yet while awake, she dreams of running and jumping in the pool. The difference between her sleeping dreams and her daydreams can be explained in a single word: "Hope."

The concept of hope is often invoked when discussing incurable or difficult-to-treat diseases, but never more poignantly than in the case of FA. That's because many researchers involved in FA studies believe that a treatment and cure are on the visible horizon -- perhaps within the lifetime of children who are currently afflicted. When Chelsea was originally diagnosed, they called FA an “orphan” disease.” Now it’s found a home in the heart of our community and in the minds of prominent research scientists.

The annual WALK FOR HOPE AND A CURE is a fundraising campaign for FARA (Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance). FARA is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to supporting research leading to a treatment or cure for this relentless and devastating disease. We must keep the hopes and dreams of Chelsea and all of those afflicted with Friedreich's Ataxia alive by supporting the research through our donations and participation in fundraising efforts. There is no longer any doubt – working hard together, we WILL get treatments! The scientists and the Friedreich’s Ataxia community are confident they will succeed. Please help assemble the financial resources needed to support the research that will push treatments across the finish line.

Please join us on May 19, 2007, the Sixth Annual FARA Walk for Hope and a Cure, which will take place at St. Norbert School and Church, at 300 East Taft, in Orange, California. Please join our fight. Generous donors and volunteers like you can truly make a difference. Donations are tax-deductible. For more information, call (714) 685-0096. You can also make donations online. Mail checks made out to "FARA" to: 3550 E. Marywood Dr. Orange, CA 92867.

Download the flyer and sponsorship form.

Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance
Orange County Chapter
3550 East Marywood Drive
Orange, California 92867

Phone: (714) 685-0096
Fax: (714) 685-0098
Email: typesandy@aol.com

FARA is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization supporting medical research. Our Federal Tax Identification Number is 52-2122720.