Hope Flies: Walk for Abby Scheduled for Saturday in East Windsor

For three years now, the Sauerhoefer family has set its sight raising more awareness of the disease that has inflicted their daughter, Abby.

Each year the community has shown its of support for the Sauerhoefers by gathering together in the Broad Brook section of East Windsor to walk three miles in honor of their daughter and sister Abby, who has been diagnosed with Mitochondrial disease.

This Saturday is expected to be no different.

On April 27, the third annual Hope Flies: Walk for Abby event will kick off at the Broad Brook Elementary School on Rye Street to benefit the Foundation for Mitochondrial Medicine. The family-friendly event includes the three mile walk, DJ, refreshments, face painting and a raffle, with prizes including a MacBook Air, Nook, TV, New York Yankees tickets, a wine basket, spa packages and more.

According to the Foundation for Mitochondrial Medicine, Mitochondrial disease means the power plants in cells don't function properly. When that happens, some functions in the body don't work normally. It's as if the body has a power failure: there is a gradation of effects, like a 'brown out' or a 'black out'.

Since birth, Abby has struggled with breathing and eating. By two months old, her parents knew something was wrong when Abby started to experience infantile spasms or seizures.

It took two years of extensive testing by doctors in Hartford and Atlanta to determine that Abby suffers from Mitochondrial disease, with a diagnosis being made in July 2009.

With Abby’s ordeal, the Sauerhoefers decided that it would be a good idea to raise money to help fund research in mitochondrial diseases. In 2011, over a few short months, the family organized the first Hope Flies: Walk for Abby. With a goal to raise $10,000 the family was shocked when it reached $40,000 and nearly 500 people signed up to walk. 

Today, Abby still experiences daily seizures and cannot walk, speak, or sit up; her only means of nourishment is through a feeding tube. Although Abby is not able to talk, her parents have said that she loves music and can express herself through what they call "Abby songs". She also loves to be outside and the being with other children.

Details for Saturday's walk:

Registration for the walk begins at 8:30 a.m. and the walk will commence at 10 a.m. Registration is $20 for adults and $10 for children and students.  All proceeds will go the the Foundation for Mitochondrial Medicine (http://hopeflies.org) to help fund research for cures of various mitochondrial diseases such as Autism, Muscular Dystrophy, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

For more information contact Carol Sauerhoefer at walkforabby@gmail.com or call (860) 627-5119