Students’ lemonade efforts
help to sponsor good cause
By linda denicola
Staff Writer
FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP — Sadie Ritchie, who teaches in the Freehold Township School District, was not expecting her daughter’s class to sponsor her in a walk for the Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance, but that’s exactly what the children did.
When the pupils in her daughter Christine’s summer school class found out about the walkathon, they brainstormed for fund-raising ideas with teacher Lisa Cicero and decided to open a lemonade stand outside the West Freehold School on Stillwells Corner Road. They raised $137.87 and presented the money to Ritchie on Aug. 1.
During the school year, Cicero teaches special education at the C. Richard Applegate School. She used the project as a learning experience, helping the special education students with developing social skills, counting change and keeping track of inventory. The students also made signs and designed fliers to announce the sale.
Ritchie became involved with the organization after learning that her daughter, Christine, had the disease. Tuberous sclerosis is a genetic disorder affecting approximately 1,300 children in New Jersey and 50,000 nationwide. It strikes at an early age and causes tumors to form on the heart, brain, eyes, skin and gums. Diagnosed at 8 months, Christine has endured painful yearly laser treatments, frequent body and brain MRIs and surgery.
The disorder also causes seizures, making it necessary for patients to take anti-seizure medication, and often involves brain surgery. Christine underwent brain surgery in January, and doctors inserted a shunt to help calm her seizures.
According to Ritchie, when doctors initially diagnosed Christine, they said, "Don’t expect anything from this child."
But Ritchie wasn’t about to give up, even though as a special education teacher at the Barkalow Middle School, she understood the devastating effects the disease would have on her baby girl.
Ritchie researched tuberous sclerosis complex and, during the process, discovered a support group for families with TSC children called the Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance. She found out that the group had been founded by four mothers of children with TSC in 1974. Its goal was to provide fellowship, generate awareness, pursue knowledge and provide hope to those who share the common bond of this disease.
Christine is now 9 years old and attends a special education class at the Laura Donovan School. In spite of all the struggles and pain she has had to bear, Christine has a happy-go-lucky attitude, said her mother.
"Christine loves all her doctors and even looks forward to seeing them," she added.
Ritchie will participate in a 5-kilometer walkathon for the alliance on Oct. 5 at 9 a.m. at the Marlboro Recreation Community Center.
For more information about TSC and the alliance, check out the organizations’ Web site at www.tsalliance.org.