PALMERSTON - Family and friends of Ryan and Ashleigh Rawn are coming together to help them through a difficult time.
Everyone is invited to attend a family fun day benefit event scheduled for Feb. 5 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Palmerston and District Community Centre.
There will be ticket sales for skating from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m., food, bake sales, games, raffles and draws.
Ashleigh has been diagnosed with Devic’s disease, a rare autoimmune disease affecting the spinal cord and optic nerves. The disease affects the protective outer coating of the nerves and can permanently damage the nerves. Devic’s disease can cause temporary or permanent blindness in one or both eyes, varying degrees of weakness or paralysis in legs or arms, loss of sensation and bladder and bowel dysfunction from spinal cord damage.
Most individuals with Devic’s have an unpredictable, relapsing course of the disease with attacks occurring months or years apart. Disability is cumulative, the result of each attack damaging new areas of myelin. Some individuals lose vision in both eyes, the use of their limbs and have breathing difficulties.
There is no cure for Devic’s disease, but there are therapies to treat an attack, reduce symptoms and prevent relapses....please read more in this weeks Minto Express