3rd Annual R4R Fundraiser … thank you!

Wow.  Our community … our team … went above and beyond again to show up and support the Rooting for Robert mission of finding a cure or a better treatment for Morquio.  And there are simply not enough words to express how grateful we are.

Being at Mellwood Art Center last Friday with over 350 people — old friends, new friends, friends-of-friends, family, mentors, nurses, & doctors — all there to support this rare disease, was simply amazing.  As I spoke about last week, since Robert’s diagnosis we’ve been on quite a journey.  A journey with many tears and many smiles.  Last Friday was a moment in the journey filled with both.  But, the tears this time were tears of tremendous hope. (see how hope is spreading across the Morquio community in the video at the bottom of the page).

As we sit here 1 week following the event, we have raised over $715,000!  THANK YOU!  We are nearing $2 million dollars raised since kicking off R4R and as Bobby and Dr. William Mackenzie (more on Dr. M below) shared last week, this community is moving the needle in a very real way!  This mission started as a dream filled with lots of prayers … those dreams are starting to come true; something just three years ago would have been impossible to imagine.  If you weren’t able to attend in-person and hear Bobby share where your money is going, check out the Our Why/Successes section of www.rootingforrobert.org.

Last week was a big milestone for another very important reason.  Robert met two other boys affected by Morquio Syndrome.  Two other boys that walk in the very same shoes he does every day.  The Tippett Family from Denver, Colorado and the Dwyer Family from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania traveled to Louisville, Kentucky.  Cooper Tippett (age 11) and Colin Dwyer (age 6) and Robert Vice (age 7) were like life-long friends.  It was truly a special evening for all of us and ended in the very best way.  I couldn’t have scripted it better.  Robert and Cooper danced (with their reconstructed legs and their surgeon looking on) for 45 straight minutes.  For those of us who stayed to the end, there were lots of smiles and tear-filled eyes.  Simply the best.

I can’t finish this post without saying a few heartfelt words about Dr. William Mackenzie.  We were unbelievably fortunate to have Dr. Mackenize travel in from Wilmington, Delaware (Nemours Children’s Hospital) to be our keynote speaker.  If you’ve read my previous posts about Robert’s surgeries, then you know Dr. William Mackenzie (and his son Dr. Stuart Mackenzie) well.  Our family and so many other Morquio families are blessed to have this father-son duo in our lives.  I had the pleasure of introducing world-renowned Dr. William Mackenzie last week and shared how much he has meant to our family and expressed that he has truly given our children the gift of time.  Time that every one of these children need to allow research like we’re funding to positively impact their lives.

I have so much more to say but maybe the photos will do an even better job than my words could do.  Thank you again to every single one of you.  Visit this link if you’d like to watch a few brief videos we shared during the fundraiser — you’ll hear some heartwarming words from our superhero, Robert, his amazing big sis, Anna and more on Cooper and Colin’s Morquio journey.

And, it’s never too late to donate.  Would be pretty amazing to hit that $2 Million dollar mark before next year’s fundraiser.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.