Bridget is stable as we head into our spring. Her new wheelchair has made a great addition to her repertoire of gadgets. It’s got some hot pink piping on the undercarriage, as well as her name embroidered in hot pink on the backrest. She has bling! Ironically, the brand name is Zippie, so if she is being pushed by Harrison, she’s “Holding Fast!”

In addition to the media coverage, we have a couple articles in this month’s Quintessential Barrington. Here is the link to the one they asked me to write. Sometimes, it’s so easy to tell her story.
www.qbarrington.com/quintessential.html

What a blitz of PR! It’s amazing how people reach out and want to help. We’ve felt this way all along our journey with Bridget. And today was no different. In the past 8 days, we’ve had one radio discussion and 2 television appearances to spread the word of Batten Disease, Bridget and our imminent fundraising concert. All of these were because of people who know us from our past and present and are willing to connect to they’re networks and help us spread the word. We are so appreciative.

1. Joyce Schwegel, neighbor of Katie Kennicott who put us in touch with Rick Kogan on WGN Radio, The Sunday Papers. Air date 2/14/10 link: COMING SOON!

2. Jennie Lim, who taught with Sara is a friend with Ellee Pai Hong who helped us get a spot on the NBC morning show with Ginger Zee on 2/21/10 link: TRYING TO LOCATE!

3. Tracy O’Brien, an old high school friend of Sara’s who is an executive producer at CBS offering to have an interview by Jim Williams with our family airing on Monday, 2/22/10 link: cbs2chicago.com/local/batten.disease.bridget.2.1512046.html

More to come….
Chicago Tribune will have an article about our past 2 years as a family dealing with cancer and Batten Disease. We will also be featured in the local journal Quintessential Barrington in their March/April edition.

Thank you for all the attention on Bridget’s behalf. If she only knew she was this famous!

The Read-a-Thon was a HUGE success – drawing over 500 children to the basketball courts of the field house on Monday, January 18th and raising over $20,000 for the Trust and Foundation. The children participated in silent reading, buddy reading and group reading, as well as mystery readers ranging from high school athletes and musicians to politicians, firefighters, and Mrs. Illinois. The kids participated in short activities like learning pom routines and the largest round of hokey pokey I have ever seen!

A giant thank you to the fundraiser’s organizers – Stephanie Hagan, Gretchen Kozlowski, and Barbara Aievoli, who came to know the Kennicott family through North Barrington Elementary School. And, to all of the volunteers and sponsors that made this event possible! You give us HOPE!! A huge hug of thanks to each and everyone who donated time, money and possibly a baked good, which raised $1,000 on its own! Thank you Deb, Deb and Noreen!

You can check out some local PR on this link http://www.triblocal.com/Barrington/Detail_View/view.html?type=photos&action=detail&sub_id=135372