A charity BBQ and garage sale being hosted in the city this Saturday will help to kick start a new opportunity for 9 year old Daniel Kress of St. Thomas.
You see, Daniel suffers from a genetic neurological disorder called neurofibromatosis.
Tonia Kress, Daniel’s mothers explains more about the disorder and the effect it has on her family.
While her daughter and husband are able to live a fairly normal life with regular check ups and interventions, starting at age five, Daniel underwent 70 weeks of chemotherapy after a tumor was discovered on his optical nerve.
With with ADHD, anxiety disorder and autism diagnoses given back in July of 2020 and because NF causes mobility issues, his doctors and parents agreed that he would benefit from a service dog.
Not only does the whole process of obtaining a service dog take a substantial amount of time as Kress explains, it also comes with a hefty price tag of over $30,000
The golden retriever puppy, who they plan to name Duchess, is set to be born in the next 2 weeks, at which time the process will begin.
Kress says in order to help pay for the service dog, a charity BBQ, garage and bake sale will be taking place this Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
While the fundraiser event has yet to happen, Kress says the community support already has been unbelievable.
Kress adds that they plan to have a few activities set up for kids at the fundraiser, including face painting and balloon art.
Those who can not attend this Saturday but would like to support the cause, can do so through the GoFundMe page available here.
More details on the event taking place on Saturday, June 11th can be found below…
Written by: Kennedy Freeman
