Helping Olivia & Her Mom

Around 2 years ago; at about 11 years of age,
Olivia was diagnosed with Juvenile Huntington's Disease.

Huntington’s disease (HD) is a fatal genetic disorder that causes the progressive breakdown of nerve cells in the brain.

(Oliva at school with her loving and hard-working devoted mom; Erika Eiger, a 4th-grade teacher at Winget Park Elementary)

It deteriorates a person’s physical and mental abilities and has no cure. There is currently no cure or treatment which can halt, slow or reverse the progression of the disease.  

A little over 3 months ago her father Jaya Eiger, died from the same disease. Jaya was first diagnosed on June 13th, 2011, at age 38.  

(Jaya as seen her in June 2014 with his two kids showing more advancing symptoms of HD but managed to keep smiling and win a game or two at bowling.)

Now at 13 Oliva's Juvenille Huntingtons Disease has created mobility issues and also causes her head to drift automatically to her left side.

(Oliva is seen here with her favorite teacher and my husband; Robert Naylor, at her fathers' memorial service.)

Her favorite band is One Direction and would love to have Harry Styles or Louis Tomlinson, be her prom date.

She loves all things, Disney...

Loves Jeffree Star makeup, and all things girly...

Even in the face of disparity and sadness,
Oliva continues to sparkle and shine.

(Family vacation in the summer of 2010)



Little did this family know how dramatically their lives
we're about to change.....

In the spring of 2014, a few friends of mine decided to get together and form a charity where we could help broken-hearted families like Erika and Jaya by bringing the heart back to the home through their kitchen.

(Gloria Powell of #OnTheGoWithGlo) with Randolph James of Magnolia Emporium) 

By June we were gung-ho, full of hopes and dreams, and ready to help the world.  We had Amanda Leigh O'Hara formerly with a local news station, want to come and do a story. 

(Randolph James seen here with Amanda Leigh OHara & local realtor Charlene Beatty-Bell)

The school principal at Winget Park Elementary was involved and helped us surprise Erika in class...

(Surprising 4th-grade teacher Erika Eiger at Winget Park Elementary July 2014)

(Bollinger images filming in the background)


I had Bollinger Images capture from behind the scenes to hopefully start a series that we could take to the networks and be able to help even more families...

My friend Gloria Powell flew in from out of state to interview her. 
My other friends jumped on board to help. 

The then President of The Huntingtons Disease for NC, drove down with her father to speak with Erika.

(Adrianne Robinson; NC President of HD and also diagnosed with HD, speaks with local news)

We had free cookies for Erika's classroom by Hey Sugar shop...

(Generous donations from Hey Sugar Shop)


Free pizza was delivered from the VP at Brixx Pizza and the Dilworth Mgr also gave us free food vouchers
for the family...

(Generous donations from Brixx Pizza)


And then the worst happened........ the local news station decided to not runt the story and instead replaced it with a fluff piece about dogs.  Between September and Early December most of the large donors who said they would help disappeared, right when we were to begin updates on their kitchen!

No more kitchen update, no contractor willing to help, no new appliances, no new flooring, no nothing!  My friends, my husband and I were left devastated, embarrassed and mortified we could not help this family in need.  

(Olivia and her brother showing some love for us.  Her brother Joey; who recently turned 18, has a 50/50 chance of also developing the disease)

An angel must have heard... I fell it was my late father who had recently passed away at that point.  The VP of Electrolux heard our story and immediately provided a new stove through Queen City Appliances and they also donated a matching Microwave.  Give A Little Nash arranged to have Christmas presents delivered that December, for the kids.  My
sister sent clothes, my friend William and his wife also bought presents and clothing dor the kids, for Christmas.

I don't want to let this family's needs fall through the cracks again.
Now with support from Lauri Dewhurst-Summers of Coffey & Thomspon Galleries, Victor Wearney of Shred CLT we have been able to help get a temporary wheelchair for Oliva, who at 13 now has advanced mobility issues.  They are working to get her an electric one as well.  In addition, his friends have gotten together to donate several cases of Pediasure and some gift cards for food.

(Oliva is seen here recently with her brother Joey and her mom Erika in Hawaii.  A trip made possible through the Make A Wish Foundation)


Olivia was recently turned down for SSID because the government said shes not bad enough to qualify.  
Let that sink in for a bit... 

Olivia now needs a wheelchair at 13, she has a feeding tube at night because earing has become so difficult for her.  She will most likely not be with us by her 21st birthday because her form of HD is the most aggressive.

So a new gift stepped forward by the name of Kelli Lutteell-Espaillat, Attorney is providing Erika with legal advice to help appeal her case to the government for Olivia's care.

As a now widowed single parent, on a 4th-grade teacher's salary...
Erika has challenges in budgeting for little things like buying cases of Chocolate Pediasure that her NC Blue Cross Blue Shield State Employee insurance doesn't want to cover. 

With all of the advancing medical costs and co-payments, it has been very difficult for her. 

(Erika and Jaya on their wedding day)

I haven't even begun to list the challenges of a young mother dealing with the recent death of her husband and now watching her own young daughter, be affected by the same disease, but far more aggressive.

Please take a moment to consider what you would be feeling emotional right now and how you would still be trying to be the best teacher you can to your 4thbgrade students and maintain composure, day in and day out...

I personally am now determined to help this family, whatever it takes. 
I am also now restructuring our charity and following through with getting it registered with the government as an501(c)3 to be able to help families like the Eiger's...

Please help if you can..... Please share this if you can...

Let's help her mom Erika who gives her all as a teacher and is trying to
keep a stable home for her now 18 yr old son Joey, make sure Olivia has the best memories she can have, all in an effort to take with her when she finally goes home to be with her father...........