A fundraiser on Saturday, June 29 will benefit the family of a seven-year-old girl with a rare brain disease.
Alivia has a disease known as Rasmussen’s encephalitis. She had started school in September 2012 at William F. Davidson Elementary School in Surrey. One night, she became ill with her first seizure. The disease has progressed since, with complications arising from both the disease itself and from some of the drug therapy.
Alivia is presently in B.C. Children’s Hospital undergoing treatment not only for her disease, but also for some of these complications. Alivia maintains a joyful loving spirit in spite of her circumstances.
On Wednesday (June 19), Alivia was scheduled for an operation called a functional hemispherectomy. This procedure separates the left hemisphere of the brain from the right, which should lessen the seizures. There will be months of therapy afterwards.
Her father is the sole earner in the family, and up to about six weeks ago he was working and spending every night with Alivia.
At that time, she suffered serious complications and her father took a leave of absence to be with his daughter and wife. Their financial resources are extremely limited, and having a very sick child has put this family in a very tough situation. Friends are organizing the fundraiser at Jimy Mac’s Pub to cover this family’s basic needs.
The fundraiser will take place on Saturday, June 29, starting at 6 p.m. Jimy Mac’s Pub is located at 19935 96 Ave. in Langley.
A $20 ticket price includes a burger and a drink, silent auction, 50/50 draws, raffles and more. Advance tickets can be purchased from Theresa at 604-534-5305 or Karleen at604-767-3831.
The organizers are also asking for donations for the auction or cash donations.
A bank account has been set up at the CIBC branch located at 20069 64 Ave. in Langley. If anyone would like to make a donation to the account, they can make a cheque out to Alivia Code In Trust. Anyone interested in doing so can call one of the organizers for further details.