Lissa's Geekgasm

Ok, I’m gonna get all personal here for a minute, which I don’t often do, but this fundraiser is important to me, personally, and I feel the need to share with you why. I have a nephew who I’ve always been close to and he was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis at 6 yrs old. At that time, we were all told that he may not make it past his teen years, as he was in an advanced stage and there is so much still unknown about treating CF. If you don’t know, CF is a genetic disease that is currently treatable but not curable. It affects a person’s lung and liver function, their ability to properly digest food and absorb nutrients and often results in severe diabetes and other illnesses. 

My nephew has spent a large part of his life in the hospital, receiving painful treatments to keep him alive. He received a double organ transplant several years ago, which helped to fight the diabetes. Yesterday was the 11th anniversary of his liver & pancreas transplant and he’s still doing well, living as a fairly healthy 20 something. We all have Shands Hospital for Children at the University of Florida to thank for the care & compassion that has kept him alive all these years. 

My nephew and I share our love for video games and comic books, and both of these hobbies have always been a big comfort to him during the long weeks he spent lying in a hospital bed. That’s why I’m participating in this fundraiser. Because I owe a lot to the doctors, nurses and volunteers at Children’s Hospitals like Shands. 

If you have the ability to, please help my team reach their goal tomorrow. Donations are tax-deductible and 100% of it goes to help kids in the care of these incredibly important hospitals. Thanks for reading my mushy rambling and thank you so, so much to every single friend who has contributed to this!

http://www.extra-life.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.team&teamID=8438