Jul 23, 2015

ePlantSource’s McKee Helps Organize Climb to Raise Funds to Fight Batten DiseaseSource: ePlantSource

Suzanne McKee, director of marketing at ePlantSource, is part of a team that has organized a 14 km hike up Grays Peak in Colorado to help raise funds to find a cure Batten Disease.

Batten Disease CLN6 is a rare neurodegenerative disorder that currently has no cure and is fatal. Children afflicted with this usually do not survive past the age of 12.

McKee along with her sister Stephanie Gaydos and their friend Brooke Michaels Medosch, have organized the hike to help Gordon and Kristen Gray whose daughters, Charlotte and Gwenyth Gray, have both been diagnosed with the disease.

The Colorado friends of the Gray family are hiking Grays Peak on August 29 in support of Charlotte and Gwenyth.

McKee, Gaydos and and Michaels Medosch are reaching out to gain support in the form of pledges for their climbs. All proceeds from the hike will go directly to the Charlotte and Gwenyth Foundation to Cure Batten Disease. The Foundation was set up to fund immediate treatments for Charlotte and Gwenyth as well as the research to cure Batten Disease and the thousands of children afflicted with this devastating diagnosis.

“When we heard about Charlotte and Gwenyth, we knew we had to do something. Half of the battle is financing potential treatments and cures and the other half is awareness. We felt as though conquering a 14er, it will be my first, was the best way that we could help in accomplishing both,” said Suzanne McKee when asked about the fundraiser. “We have had a great initial response to the hike and are hoping to spread the word as far as we can to raise money and awareness for these sweet girls.”

Brooke Michaels Medosch added, “being a parent, it is our duty to support other parents facing the unimaginable. Being a Coloradoan enables us to do a very unique event to raise funds and generate awareness. The Gray family has their own mountain to climb; conquering the Grays Peak is a very ‘Colorado’ way of showing our support while raising funds to help these precious girls. If this form of Batten Disease gets cured, it opens up the platform to cure many other neurodegenerative diseases. Our hope is that we help raise the necessary funds to expedite the research in time to save the Gray girls. Every dollar counts and every moment matters.”

For more information on the 14K Climb up Grays Peak: https://www.crowdrise.com/CharlotteandGwenythGray/fundraiser/suzannemckee

For more information on the Charlotte and Gwenyth Foundation to Cure Batten Disease:www.curebatten.org