Community support
By Laura Ruby
After learning about a local toddler's struggle with a deadly disease, Paul Brock was moved to action. Brock, owner of the Warrenton Chick-Fil-A, and Tracy Riedel, the store's marketing director, reached out to the family of two-year-old Alysa Dye and will host a fundraiser for them later this month.
Alysa was diagnosed in March 2007 with Metachromatic Leukodystrophy, a rare and uncureable neurological disease, explained her mother, Christina.
"Basically, what MLD does is shut the nerves down," explained Dye. "Alysa will go blind. She will have muscle spasms. Those have already started, and they're really painful, so she has medication for that. She can't walk without holding on to something. Eventually the spasms will progress to seizures; she will become comatose, and she will die by the age of five or five and a half."
MLD is a rare genetic disorder. Both parents must be carriers of the disease. The Dye's sons Jonathan and Hunter are genetically carriers of the disease but are not affected.
It takes three forms: late infantile, which is the one affecting Alyssa; juvenile, and adult. The infantile form of the disease is the most common, and the most rapidly advancing. Symptoms are muscle weakness and wasting, muscular rigidity, developmental delays, progressive loss of vision, convulsions, impaired swallowing, and dementia.
A Nov. l4 Fauquier Weekend story detailed the Bealeton family's efforts to keep Alysa as healthy and happy as possible. After reading the story, Brock and Riedel came up with the fundraising plan.
DDE_LINK1"I have four little girls and one of them is about her age and looks so much like her," explained Brock. "It's just absolutely tragic. DDE_LINK1 A lot of this started because the story was so visible. We were able to read it and put a face to it and it really brought it to life.
"We're part of this community and we look at it like that."
Set for 2-5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20 at the Warrenton Chick-Fil-A, the event will include Santa Claus and the Chick-Fil-A Cow and area businesses have donated items that will be raffled off. During the fundraiser, 50 percent of all Chick-Fil-A sales will go to the Dye family, Brock said.
The store is still looking for other local businesses who want to participate, said Riedel. Currently, Walgreens, Staples, and Meadow Brook Child Care Center are contributing, she said.
Dye said the family is excited about the event.
“They wanted to help raise money for her and awareness. Since she is a local child, they wanted to help," said Dye, who added that she was overwhelmed by the offer. "I was surprised that they called. I was crying on the phone. It was not something that we expected."
Dye said that the family plans to attend the festivities. "I don't know how long we'll stay. Alysa gets tired easily and when she gets tired she gets cranky," Dye said.
For more information on Alysa or to make a contribution to the family, visit www.caringbridge.org/visit/angels4alysa .