I have decided to take on a new challenge - one I hope to use to help out some friends of ours.
Six months before our Taylor was born, our good friends Matt and Annetta Saggese, both teachers and awesome people, gave birth to a beautiful baby girl named Netta. [Photo of Taylor & Netta at school together (we are lucky they happen to be classmates)].
Everything seemed to be developing typically until Netta was about 6 weeks old. After noticing some rapid eye blinking and odd body movements, Matt and Annetta took Baby Netta to the doctor, who confirmed that these were, in fact, seizures. After undergoing many tests, EEG’s, and MRI’s with pediatricians and neurologists, it was determined that Baby Netta was born without her ‘corpus callosum’ (the part of the brain that allows the two hemispheres of the brain to communicate.). Over the past year, Baby Netta has proven she is one strong little girl!
She has battled seizures and spasms, tried many different combinations of medications (most that keep her heavily sedated) and diets, and visited many doctors and hospitals up and down the East Coast.
The Saggese’s have tirelessly committed themselves to exploring every option for bettering Baby Netta’s health, and are by far, two of the strongest and most positive people we know. Now they are gearing up for a big surgery scheduled for December 27th with a top pediatric neuro-surgeon at NYU - with the hopes that this surgery may put an end to these seizures and spasms, as well as open up doors for other great things to happen for Baby Netta’s health and development. We would like to do all we can to help them out as they navigate this journey….
So I thought we could use the upcoming Beach to Battleship Half-Ironman triathlon (November 13th) to help raise some money to help with all their medical bills. This will be my first triathlon at this distance (1.2mi swim, 56mi bike, 13.1mi run), and though I have not exactly had much time for or done much training (consult Adrienne for a laugh on this one)....I have found inspiration in this little girl and feel I need to contribute, even in some small way to their situation. If nothing else, we raise some money and enjoy some laughs when race officials ‘gaff' me like a tuna during the swim portion of the race.I am setting a fundraising goal of $2,000 in an attempt to help make things a little “Betta’ for Netta.” No contribution is too small - every dollar will be very much appreciated. If you would like to donate, please click the following link..
Thank you for keeping this little girl in your thoughts and prayers!
To Donate - (Or if you prefer to write a check, make it out to Matt & Annetta Saggese and send it to us at 214 Disney Drive. Wilmington, NC 28409)
