Entries tagged as ‘Gooden’
Baby Nora Gooden’s Aunt Tiffany shows determination goes a long way! Her euchre tournament raised over $700 for Unite For The Cure. Way to go Aunt Tiffany!!!
Hi! I’m Aunt Tiffany, proud aunt of Nora Gooden, and I organized an euchre tournament to benefit her and Unite for the Cure for this past Sunday. Since I used to work at the local animal shelter, they were kind enough to let me use their community room in exchange for donations off their wishlist.
I had invited over 100 people, and I wish I could tell you that dozens came out. But, I can’t. I was heartbroken as more and more ‘maybes’ and even ‘yes’ RSVPs changed to ‘no’ in the week before the event. I nearly canceled the event, and I felt that I’d failed my dear niece. But, I decided to make the best of it, and try to enjoy the company of the four (four!) people that RSVP’d with a yes.
In the week prior to the event, several friends that couldn’t attend surprised me with donations, and one couple that attended the event made a huge $500 donation! Their son was born at just about the same time that Nora was diagnosed with SMA, and I think this affected them a great deal. The generosity of everyone blew me away and touched me greatly, and I’m pleased to say that the event raised $700.
So, for those of you out there that are working on planning events and worried about a lackluster response, I’m here to tell you not to lose hope. Every little bit helps, every bit of education matters, and the generosity of friends and strangers may just surprise you.
Categories: Fundraiser idea · Gooden
Tagged: Fundraiser idea, Gooden
The Gooden family of Tennessee has blown past their personal goal of raising $5,000 for Unite For The Cure! Their hard work brings UFTC one step closer in our collective goal of raising $100,000 to accelerate Dr. Keirstead’s SMA stem cell program at UC Irvine. Congratulations to the Goodens on raising $6,570 and way to go!!!
Categories: Gooden · Milestone
Tagged: Gooden, Milestone
September 10, 2009 · 2 Comments
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.
Categories: Gooden
Tagged: Gooden, Uniters
