Fundraiser at Corn Dawgs to Benefit 3-year-old Loganville Girl with Rare Illness

Joey and Melissa Marlow, of Loganville, only found out a little over a year ago that their then 2-year-old daughter, Addison, had a rare syndrome called Phelan-McDermid Syndrome or 22Q13.

“There are less than 800 known cases worldwide but it's believed there are many more under diagnosed. This is a rare Chromosomal disorder that affects the body in many ways. Most children with this disorder are unable to talk and are severally intellectually impaired. They have muscle issues that make it hard for many to walk and those who do are not very stable, Melissa Marlow said. “There are so many issues that go long with diagnosis but each child varies.  I say child because this was not discovered until 1998. Children with this deletion are missing a very important gene called the Shank-3 gene. This gene is now being directly related to Autism, Schizophrenia, and Alzheimer's. 80 percent of the kids with PM-S have some sort of autism.”

Marlow said as a result of the connection to autism and the other disorders, scientists are very interested in children like Addison.

“The Shank-3 gene helps one to retain memory, control behavior, and more. A scientist has found a way to remove this gene from a test mouse and now is trying to figure out a way to replace it. If they can do this than maybe these sweet babies can talk to their families,” Marlow said. “My daughter has lost the ability to talk, sign and follow any directions due to the regression of this syndrome.”

Marlow said there will be a fundraiser for the Phelan-McDermid Foundation at Corn Dawgs in Loganville on Saturday, June 15, in honor of Addi.

“This funding is crucial to help fund studies for researches to learn more about our kids,” Marlow said. “We have many attractions for the kids, food from PaPa Johns and Shane's Rib Shack, live band, and silent auction. The day will begin with a poker motorcycle ride and then the park will open to the public from 12:00-3:00. Home Depot will be there to do a kids workshop along with bouncy, face painting, spider mountain, coloring contest and much more for the kiddos. Dr.Phelan, the doctor who discovered this syndrome, is coming along with other Georgia families as well as families from other states.

Marlow said Addison, who was diagnosed in May last year, is currently in hospital but they are hoping she will be well enough to attend the fundraiser at Corn Dawgs in her honor. Corn Dawgs is located at 1110 Highway 81, Loganville.

To learn more about PM-S visit www.22q13.org or our site www.addisangels.org. People can also like us on Facebook at Addi's Angels.