Help Micaela Fight Friedreich's Ataxia

If you've ever had the chance to meet Micaela Kent (aka "Peanut"), you know she's full of energy and giggles, loves horseback riding, snuggling with her dog, and spending as much time as she can with her friends and family. What you may not have known, or are just now learning, is that Micaela, and her mom and dad, are facing a very long road ahead of them as Micaela was recently diagnosed with a rare neurological disease called Friedreich's Ataxia. This disease causes progressive nervous system damage and movement problems and symptoms usually begin to present themselves in childhood. As the disease progresses, impaired muscle coordination (ataxia) worsens and additional health complications tend to present themselves. While there is currently no known cure, there are therapies and treatments that Micaela will hopefully be able to take advantage of. She has a great team behind her.

There are a lot of unknowns with Friedreich's Ataxia, but there are also some hard truths:

• We know that Micaela will likely need a wheelchair and other assistive devices at some point.
• We know that her movements are likely to be significantly impaired and she may face other health issues as the disease progresses.
• We know that some treatments and therapies will be covered by insurance, but many will not.

We also know that Micaela is a fighter.

We know that Matt & Marny will continue to advocate, support, and protect her every step of the way.

We know that this family has an incredible support network that wants to help in some way, and that every bit of help matters...big or small gestures, words of support, or financial contributions.

We are raising funds to help support Micaela, Matt & Marny in the following ways:

• to help to pay for therapy and treatments that fall outside of insurance coverage
• to help cover unexpected costs that may arise along the way (for example, accessibility improvements at home, equipment needs, etc.)
• to support organizations working to find a cure or develop new treatments for Friedreich's Ataxia. This type of support would be secondary to providing for the family's immediate needs, but it is important to Micaela, Matt, and Marny that any 'extra' funds raised go to support the larger cause of raising awareness and support for other families living with Friedreich's Ataxia.

Please join us in showing our love and support for Micaela, and that together we are #peanutstrong.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.