October 30, 2008 05:24 pm
—
By MICHELLE MILLER
Staff Writer
CHERRY VALLEY — Last
Friday night, the Cherry Valley-
Springfield student council held a
fundraiser to benefit six-year-old
Grace Utter who is fighting a kidney
disease.
According to student council
volunteer and CV-S teacher Melissa
Jaquay, the night was a success
with amazing community
support. She said the school gymnasium
was filled with over 250
people playing Bingo from 7:15 to
10:30 p.m.
Jaquay said the event raised
over $5,300 and there were over
91 gift baskets given out as prizes.
The gift baskets were donated
by the community, school groups
and sports teams.
Grace was able to attend the
fundraiser for a little while, according
to Jaquay.
Grace’s mother Jodi wrote in a
journal entry posted at www.caringbridge.
org/visit/graceutter
that she was in complete `awe’ of
what she
saw at the
school before
the
fundraiser
took place.
``I can
honestly say
that I had
no idea what
‘Basket Bingo’
entailed,’’
she wrote.
``You cannot begin to imagine
what this amazing school has put
together. We are so excited that
we are home so that we can be
there to see the many friendly
faces that we’ve missed over these
past few months. Our community
is amazing and continues to pour
out their love and support for
Gracie and our family. How can
we possibly say thank you
enough,’’ she added.
Jodi had been renting a small
room in Boston so Grace could receive
care for a rare kidney disease,
focal segmental glomerulosclerosis.
The condition is one of
many diseases that affect kidney
function by attacking the glomeruli,
which are the tiny units
within the kidney where blood is
cleaned.
Fighting the disease has been
a long haul, said Jodi, whose
daughter began having kidney
problems at age 2 1/2.
Grace received a kidney transplant
Aug. 26 at Boston Children’s
Hospital in Massachusetts.
The following day, doctors told
the Utter family the disease was
attacking Grace’s new kidney.
The kidney was removed in September.
``It was devastating, it was
horrible,’’ Utter said. ``The disease
literally destroyed her kidney
within 12 hours.’’
She said because there is little
information on the disease and
because it is so aggressive, Grace
cannot get another kidney transplant
for another eight to 10
years. Grace will have to be on di-
alysis for 12 hours every
night until then, her mother
said.
According to Jodi, Grace
will have to go to Boston at
least once a month for care.
She will also have to visit if
she experiences a fever or
stomach pain in order to
rule out infection, she added.
Jodi said the cause of
her daughter’s kidney disease
is unknown.
``Like a snap of a finger,
it was there,’’ she said.
She said community
support has been overwhelming.
For more about Grace’s
condition, visit www.caringbridge.
org/visit/graceutter.
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