Delores Flanders and her family are hosting their second annual fundraiser at Boutwell’s Bowling Center in Concord to raise money for the Angelman Syndrome Foundation and support Flanders’s 4-year-old granddaughter, Bellamy Bresaw.
The event will take place on Sunday, May 17, from 2 to 4 p.m. Attendance costs $25 per person. To register, contact Dolores Flanders at mint49er@comcast.net or 603-225-1179.
Last year’s event raised $7,700.
“Angelman Syndrome is not widely known, and one of my goals is to bring awareness to this rare genetic defect affecting approximately 1 in 15,000 individuals worldwide,” Flanders said last year.
She explained that the condition affects chromosome 15, specifically a gene responsible for many neurogenic functions. When a mutation or deletion occurs, Flanders said, individuals experience speech and mobility issues, seizures, sleep disorders, swallowing issues, which can cause aspiration, and many other neurogenic conditions.
“My reason for doing this fundraiser, hopefully annually, is to raise awareness to this rare genetic defect, education, research and aid to families for much-needed safety equipment,” she said this year. “Researchers have begun doing clinical trials on gene transfers and our prayers are that these trials will soon be available to all individuals living with Angelman Syndrome.”
Her granddaughter, who lives in Bow, was diagnosed with Angelman Syndrome at nine months old.
As Bellamy grew, she began experiencing seizures and other medical challenges. She now receives specialized support and attends school. She has a playful nature and a loving heart, according to her grandmother, who describes her as “a very inquisitive, smart little girl.”
For more information on Angelman Syndrome, visit www.angelman.org.