Giving Cristia Isabel a Voice

Cristia Isabel Jimenez is like most kids her age. She likes music, playing with her toys and loves watching "Dora the Explorer."

But unlike other five year olds, Cristia is fighting a debilitating disease that has severely impacted her quality of life.

Cristia is battling against Rett Syndrome – a neurodevelopmental disorder seen almost exclusively in females. It’s a disease that manifests itself in a variety of symptoms including loss of speech and motor control, functional hand use replaced by compulsive hand movements, disordered breathing and many others.

For Cristia, the symptoms began when she was eight months old said her father, Gregorio Jimenez.

“She was just a little slow,” her father said.

Then her parents noticed that at the age of 12 months, their beautiful baby girl was weak and her muscle movements were floppy. They took her to the doctor for a checkup and the doctor referred them over to Early Intervention Services at North Bay Regional Center.

At 13 months baby Cristia was started on physical therapy two months she began speech and language therapy. Further tests resulted in the diagnosis of Rett Syndrome, her father said.

“Emotionally, it’s like losing your child,” Gregorio said. “It was like a grieving process, but then you start learning how to deal with things.”

Ever since then, her family has lived with the disease just as much as young Cristia.

“It is a lot of work because of the fact that she can’t stand unless we are holding her up,” he said. “Because of that, we need to move her everywhere we go. We need to take her to the bathroom, we need to clean her up. It’s physically tiring, emotionally, you are dealing with a lot of risks, seizures.”

Cristia can’t walk but she understands what’s going on around her, her father said. Now, the family is attempting to raise funds that will allow her a method of communication.

They are attempting to attain a $20,000 computer for Cristia, a MyTobii, that will allow her to communicate with her family. The MyTobbi is a special computer that tracks the vision of the user and allows the user to control the computer with their eyes.

So far, the family has raised $15,000 for the computer. On Saturday, the family hopes to raise $12,000 for the remainder of the cost of the computer and the costs associated with a Saturday fundraiser at Iron Steed Harley Davidson, 100 Auto Drive in Vacaville.

On Saturday, from 10 a.m., to 5 p.m., the Jimenez family invites everyone to come down to the motorcycle shop parking lot, hear some great live musical acts, and enjoy a bit of barbecue to help the cause.

“There is no charge to get in,” Gregorio said. “What we are doing is tri-tip and chicken with a $10 contribution for your plate. We will be selling raffle tickets.”

The Jimenez family will also be selling shirts at the fundraiser and a wide variety of donated items will be up for auction. The entertainment lineup for Saturday includes Ray-N-Mix, SLICE, Samantha Faye, Conjure and Buck Ford.

Cristia begins kindergarten at Tremont Elementary School in August and the family would like to have the computer for Cristia in time for the school year. Anyone who cannot make the fundraiser this Saturday can donate to the cause by visiting the family’s web site at Rettfighter.org

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