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Aiming High for Abigail: Spaghetti feed &
auction coming |
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January 4, 2018 |
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A benefit spaghetti feed and auction will be
held at the Boundary County Middle School for
Abigail Blockhan, the daughter of Don and Nikki
Blockhan, Bonners Ferry, at 6 p.m. Saturday,
January 20.
About two years ago, Abigail fell ill with
flu-like symptoms. It progressed until she was
bed ridden most days.
After several months, Abigail was diagnosed with
dysautonomia, a malfunction of the autonomic
nervous system, which controls the 'automatic'
functions of the body, including heart rate,
blood pressure, digestion, dilation and
constriction of the pupils of the eye, kidney
function and temperature control.
People living with various forms of dysautonomia
have problems with light headedness, fainting,
malnutrition and more. Abigail suffers from many
of these symptoms, and because of that, requires
a feeding tube for her nutrition.
She spends many hours with her doctors, getting
tests done, undergoing surgeries, trips to the
emergency room and more.
Dysautonomia is not rare. Over 70 million people
worldwide live with various forms of the
condition. People of any age, gender or race can
be impacted.
There is no cure for any form of dysautonomia at
this time, but
Dysautonomia International is funding
research to develop better treatments, and
hopefully someday a cure for each form of
dysautonomia.
Despite the high prevalence of dysautonomia,
most patients take years to get diagnosed due to
a lack of awareness amongst the public and
within the medical profession. Abigail was
fortunate in that respect.
So far, the treatments that have been tried for
her have had little success in helping.
Physicians and her family are trying to get to
the root of the cause of her dysautonomia, as
well as trying to find treatments that will give
her a better quality of life.
Abigail has a tenacious spirit and has fought
this battle with strength and grace! Even on her
worst days she finds a way to smile. She's in
the eighth grade, but due to her illness, which
requires at least one trip a month to out of
state hospitals (in November, it was four trips
to Seattle), she is now home schooled and
missing her classmates, having last attended Mt.
Hall Elementary.
The benefit is being organized on Abigail's
behalf by close family friend Steve Ussher, who
has also launched a GoFundMe page, "Aiming-High-for-Abigail,"
to help raise funds to help the family give
their daughter her best chance at a normal life.
To find out more or to donate auction items for
the event, call him at (208) 267-4647. |
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