Meet the Goodens of Tennessee who have signed on to Unite For The Cure and have personally committed to raising $5,000 by the end of November 2009 to help fund Dr. Keirstead’s promising SMA stem cell program at UC Irvine to and through human clinical trials as quickly and as safely as possible. Welcome aboard Gooden family!
Why are TJ and Jaime Gooden uniting for the cure?
Most people fail to grasp exactly what occurs when you hear your child will likely die. It’s the little things that seem to hurt the most. You spend 9 months daydreaming about her life: how you will handle that first boyfriend she brings home or how she will look when she walks across the stage at her graduation. Once you realize your child will die early, there is an empty void left in the place your daydreams used to go. That’s the part that hurts the most. I already miss the future my daughter will never have.
Nora Madison Gooden was born January 23, 2009. At 6-months-old, Nora was diagnosed with SMA Type I. We started a website – GoodenTree.com – for Nora before she was even born. We began documenting everything starting from pregnancy so that one day we could show the entire story to Nora. It’s ironic that Nora may die before she has a chance to read any of it. Nora is an incredibly beautiful red-haired little girl who spends most of her day happy and smiling. It’s often too much to bear to see her so happy and think “how many days does Nora have left?”. Today, minimal movement in her arms is the only thing keeping her from being completely paralyzed. Her nursery, once beautifully decorated, now looks more like a hospital room packed with medical equipment and devices.
Unite For The Cure is the single best opportunity SMA children will have in their lifetime. This is your chance to do something to help Nora and all the other devastated parents of SMA children. We are joining Unite For The Cure along with our family and friends to give our daughter and possibly your next son or daughter a chance for a future.
We will work for you, for Gwendolyn – you parents really rock – we are on your side. Your efforts will be rewarded in ways that you’ll find out in the future.
What a beautiful but sad story. My heart aches everyday for Nora and all the children afflicted with this debilitating disorder. Unite for the cure to help all the families of SMA!