Kaci Smith, 18, CFC

  
 Dear Friends and Family,
 Our daughter, Kaci, was born with a rare complex genetic condition called
Cardio-Facio-Cutaneous (CFC) syndrome.Cardio-Facio-Cutaneous syndrome is a very rare genetic condition present at birth affecting approximately 300 – 500 individuals in the world (one out of
every 810,000 births). It is a multi-system disorder ranging in severity affecting many organs. Common medical issues associated with CFC include heart defects, growth problems, vision impairment, hearing impairment, and skin problems. Other medical issues that come to the forefront are orthopedic in
nature including lack of mobility, osteoporosis and scoliosis; also gastrointestinal issues such as feeding problems and reflux often results in the need for a feeding tube for nutrition. While there is a wide spectrum of severity in CFC syndrome, most individuals will have some degree of learning
difficulty and intellectual disability. Close to 50% of the individuals have a
seizure disorder.  

Raising Kaci has been one of life’s greatest challenges and greatest joys. 
Through the years, we have relied heavily on the love and support of our
wonderful family and friends. You will never know how much we appreciate the
many ways you have all helped us.

We have also received help from Cardio-Facio-Cutaneous (CFC) International. Through this organization, we have been fortunate enough to meet many other families whose lives have been touched by CFC syndrome. The opportunity to share experiences, ask questions and receive
support has been invaluable. CFC’s newsletter publications have kept us informed
and offered hope and encouragement when we needed it most. CFC International
hosts a website, private family computer list serve and Facebook site. CFC
International funded the establishment of their own DNA Biobank, which was
responsible for the 2006 CFC gene discoveries! CFC has done so much for us; we
feel it is our turn to give something back.

CFC International will host its family conference July 31-August 4, 2013. The cost of this conference is
over $35,000. Families have the opportunity to receive free medical consultations with CFC syndrome experts, attend informative workshops, learn of promising research and, most importantly, meet other families who share the extraordinary experience of caring for a child with CFC syndrome.  I cannot
express how much these conferences mean to me personally.


Our family is committed to raising $5000 through personal and business donations to support this event.  Although this is a large amount, we know, that with support from our family and friends we will meet this goal. 

Please consider a donation to CFC International. Any assistance you can contribute is
tremendously appreciated. We appreciate your thoughtful consideration and look
forward to sharing with you how your gift made the conference an unforgettable
event for so many families.

With our most heartfelt thanks,
Ken and Michelle Smith

Donating through this website http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/KaciSmith/michellesmithsfundraisingpage#.UQ2qmsyJ3hc.facebook
 is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to support my fundraising efforts.  If, however, you feel very strongly about not donating on line, please send me an email or facebook message, and we can find another way to get your donation out here! 
THANKS!!!!

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