The Trakas Family of Florida has teamed up with the Butler Family in uniting to collectively raise $100,000 by the end of November 2009 to cure SMA.
Why are the Trakas’ uniting for the cure?
When the Trakas’ second daughter, Andrea, was born, she seemed to be perfectly healthy. When she was 7-weeks-old, they began to realize that she wasn’t holding up her head and moving around the way her older sister did at that age. After several months of tests, the dreaded diagnosis was confirmed: Type I SMA. SMA was not new to the Trakas’. Their best friends’ 15-year-old daughter has Type I SMA as well, and she has defied the odds with her tremendous strength, courage, and faith. It is still beyond their understanding how two lifelong friends could each have daughters born with the same genetic disease. Andrea was so happy and loved her 7 months of life and had an extraordinary impact on so many. There would be no greater joy for her family than for a cure to be found so that other parents would not have to endure the same difficult journey. The Trakas’ have been involved in many fundraising activities in support of SMA programs — long before Andrea was even born. One of their biggest and proudest accomplishments is the building of the “Andrea Trakas Memorial Playground” in the Tampa Bay area. This handicap accessible playground built in Andrea’s memory is a playground built “for all children”, and is state of the art. They know how many children will enjoy this facility for many years to come. The Trakas’ strongly believe in the potential that stem cell research has to treat and cure SMA, and they are honored to part of Unite for the Cure and partners with the Butler Family.
