On October 9th, I will be running the 2022 Bank of America Chicago Marathon for an organization that I hold close my heart, Rett Syndrome Research Trust. I will be running for my niece, Elsie Grgas, and the other girls who live with Rett Syndrome every day. Every case of Rett is unique, but its symptoms are akin to having Cerebral Palsy, Autism, and Epilepsy. Elsie is a beautiful, playful girl who’s never met a pool, animated movie, ball, or donut she didn’t love. She LOVES to laugh. She is also a thrill seeker, enjoying roller coasters, swings, bike riding, sledding, skiing, horseback riding, and running around with her big sisters Ella and Millie and her many cousins.
Elsie and other girls with Rett are so much more capable than we can see, and there is exciting research and clinical trials underway that promise to unlock their abilities by building the brain-body connection that is missing due to Rett. I encourage everyone reading to learn more on this website’s homepage about the recent breakthroughs in science related to Rett syndrome.
As with many rare diseases (Rett affects ~ 350,000 people, almost exclusively girls), funding comes exclusively from private sources like RSRT to finance advancements in gene therapy and RNA editing. Please join me on my journey by making a donation to RSRT today and contribute to the fight to Reverse Rett! Every donation goes directly to RSRT to help find a cure for Elsie.
“Sometimes real superheroes live in the hearts of little children fighting big battles”
Thank you for your support!
Brittany Bye Williamson
Elsie's Superhero
0 Donors
Elsie's Hero
2 Donors
Elsie's Champion
4 Donors
Elsie's Friend
19 Donors
Elsie's Fan
6 Donors
| Name | Donation Amount | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Anna Shlimak | $250 | October 18, 2022 |
| Dianne Sweet | $150 | October 12, 2022 |
| Sandy Higgins | $100 | October 09, 2022 |
| Christine Colan | $250 | October 09, 2022 |
| Virginia Napoli | $100 | October 09, 2022 |
| Hannah Weight | $100 | October 08, 2022 |
| Conor Hegedus | $200 | October 08, 2022 |
| Danielle Dimiropoulos | $50 | October 06, 2022 |
| Rick & Karen Ginex | $250 | October 06, 2022 |
| Russ Carpenter | $100 | October 05, 2022 |
| Amelia Sweet | $100 | October 05, 2022 |
| Dawna Koppin | $100 | October 04, 2022 |
| Karen Bye | $500 | October 04, 2022 |
| Jamie Karabon | $50 | October 04, 2022 |
| Catie Hughes | $50 | October 04, 2022 |
| Debbie ODwyer | $100 | October 04, 2022 |
| Haley Long | $50 | October 04, 2022 |
| Jeannie and Corey Jahner | $100 | September 17, 2022 |
| Marin Sorgi | $150 | September 15, 2022 |
| Mia Sorgi | $150 | September 06, 2022 |
| Rita Lawson | $500 | September 06, 2022 |
| Carol Desoe | $100 | August 23, 2022 |
| Erika Jarvey | $50 | August 23, 2022 |
| Terry Sorgi | $250 | August 22, 2022 |
| Elizabeth Cummings | $100 | August 22, 2022 |
| Kristen Schmidt | $100 | August 21, 2022 |
| Renea Mathews | $100 | August 21, 2022 |
| Cynthia Wax | $100 | August 21, 2022 |
| Payal Patel | $50 | August 20, 2022 |
| Kadie Desoe | $100 | August 20, 2022 |
| Kimberly Miehlke | $100 | August 20, 2022 |
| Anonymous | $20 | August 19, 2022 |