Letter from Jim & Liz

August 18, 2011

Dear Family and Friends,

It's been over three years since June 21, 2008, the day Skylar's personal fight with SMA came to a sudden and unexpected end.  There isn't a day that goes by that we don't wish for one more day, or even a moment with him to hold his fragile hand, listen to his jokes, and bask in the sunshine of his enthusiastic smile.  The battle he fought was valiant.  It was thanks to the love and support of family and friends like you, a team of highly trained doctors, therapists and nurses and the dedicated resources of Families of SMA that Skylar was able to buy 5 additional years after his 2 year prognosis.

No parent should ever have to experience the absolute heartbreak of losing a child.  This is why we fundraise to find a Cure.  Families of Spinal Muscular Atrophy (FSMA) has made huge strides with their research (thanks to your donations).  They have recently reached a significant milestone with one of their clinical trials moving into human testing on adults with SMA bringing us that much closer to a cure.  These research programs, clinical trials and resources bring hope to devastated families. 

This October 9th, our Sharkfest team of over 30 swimmers and supporters will reunite in San Diego, California for our 4th Annual Fundraiser under a new name: "Reach for the Sky" in memory of our Angel Skylar. 

At our last fundraiser in 2007, we received approximately 350 donations.  Our goal for this year is 500 donations.  We know that times are tough for a lot of people so it is about the number of donations we receive rather than the amount of the donation.  Every little bit adds up and makes a difference.  So help us honor Skylar and all the other SMA angels as we Reach for a Cure!  Please feel free to forward this letter on to your friends and family.

Much love and thanks,

The Bahrenburgs
Jim, Liz, Spencer, Sawyer and Angel Skylar

http://www.fsma.org/GiftReg/ReachForTheSky