Call to All Businesses

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing to request a donation on behalf of your company. On October 9, 2009 my family in Muskegon, MI will be hosting a silent auction to raise funds for a medical procedure for my daughter, Marissa. We have created an organization for this purpose, called Marissa’s Marchers.

Without further delay...this is our story:

Marissa has Down Syndrome and a repaired heart defect. She had open heart surgery when she was 4 months old at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. As a result of her low tone (a characteristic of DS) and her congenital heart defect she was a very weak baby for the first 5 months of her life. She also has a condition known as torticollis which impedes her movement towards the left. It is because of these various factors that she developed a flat spot on the back of her head, known medically as Plagiocephly.

I have been attempting to treat the flat spot with physical therapy, early intervention, and head massage in the home.  After receiving a referral to a cranial facial specialist and diagnosing her plagiocephaly as a moderate case, we were prescribed positional helmet therapy.  If not corrected, Marissa could develop spinal complications or vision problems so we feel very strongly that this needs to be corrected. 

We were all set to go, signing in at the orthotetics desk at University of Chapel Hill and I was told that our insurance didn't cover the therapy and that it would cost us $3500 to go through with the treatment. Plagiocephaly has a limited window of opportunity in which to treat it because it is only effective while the head is still forming. Essentially, due to this limited window, we had to act quickly and move forward with the treatment. For these reasons, our family is organizing a fund raiser for her therapy.

The silent auction is going to consist of a variety of baskets for friends and family to bid on. We are looking to have a variety of items in each basket to appeal to a wide variety of personalities. We are a military family residing in North Carolina, but we have roots in both Ohio and Michigan. So please note that even though the auction will be held in Michigan, we will have people participating in the auction from these 3 states. Your company will be recognized for its contributions. Anything that you feel would help us raise money towards our goal of $3500 would be greatly appreciated.

Please consider donating services, goods, or financially towards our auction. Thank you, in advance, for considering our cause.