Eleven-year-olds don’t finance $200,000 research projects. At least, that’s what most people thought.
When Michala Riggle began beading bracelets to fund a $200,000 research project for autism at Kosair Children’s Hospital last June, the goal seemed a long way off. But she’d seen how much the amino acid glutathione helped her younger brother, Evan, who is autistic.
Since getting glutathione infusions, Evan was able to go on family outings like movies and ballgames. He was less combative and made progress in speech therapy. Michala wanted other kids with autism to have the same opportunity, so she began beading and selling bracelets for $3 a piece to raise money for research.
Realists, including Michala’s other brother, Dawson, tried to help her face the facts. Michala would have to string more than 66,000 bracelets to reach her goal—hard work for a girl busy with sports, school and church. But Michala held onto a lesson she learned in worship at Southeast about the time Jesus fed more than 5,000 people with a little boy’s lunch of bread and fish. Her parents, Emlyn and David, cheered her vision.
"We believed God could multiply Michala’s efforts just as He did the little boy’s lunch of loaves and fish," David said.
Michala called her fundraising project Beading for Autism and sold bracelets at festivals and craft fairs. She recruited family and friends for beading parties.
On June 29, Michala took her first donation of $29 to Dr. Stephen Wright, the medical director at Kosair Children’s Hospital. The next day, he established the Michala Riggle Glutathione Autism Research Fund and agreed to facilitate the study, which will examine whether other children with autism can benefit from the treatment.
Michala beaded and sold her bracelets at craft fairs throughout the summer. By fall, she had taken checks totaling$17, 116 to Dr. Wright. Her excitement and commitment to the project were so contagious that additional donations poured in. The Children’s Hospital Foundation donated $50,000, the Louisville Metro Council gave $8,500 and the Star Program for autistic children gave $15,000. Word of Michala’s project was broadcast on local news stations when her booth at the St. James Art Fair was packed throughout the weekend.
By Nov. 1, there was $100,001 in the Michala Riggle Autism Research Fund and everyone rejoiced. They had no idea her biggest donation yet would come in the middle of a disappointing day.
Michala was looking forward to her first live football game on Oct. 27, when the tickets were given to someone else instead. Emlyn knew of a craft expo in Brandenburg, Ky., so they packed up the bracelets and prayed for one good donor.
Michala talked with one visitor at the booth a long time about Evan and the glutathione study. She did not know that she was telling her story to one of the trustees of the Ephraim and Wilma Shaw Roseman Foundation. They contacted Dr. Wright at Kosair Children’s to learn more about the study and eventually agreed to donate $10,000 to the fund. Before the check presentation on Dec. 2, they decided to increase their donation to $100,000 to meet Michala’s goal.
When the Riggles went to Kosair Children’s Hospital that Sunday afternoon for the check presentation, Michala had no idea that she’d raised the full $200,000. Local media, family and friends gathered for the presentation. When Michala saw the full check amount, she was overwhelmed and burst into tears, thanking everyone who helped her reach the goal. After local news stations told the story of the 11-year-old who raised $200,000. The story was picked up by national news stations. On Dec. 4, the story appeared on Good Morning America. Other national programs have called about Michala’s story.
The glutathione study will begin early at Kosair Children’s Hospital. Michala plans to continue raising money for the study and hopes Kosair can open a center for autism one day.
To learn more about the study or to purchase bracelets, go to www.nortonhealthcare.com and click on Michala.
Previous Article: Fighting Autism
No comments:
Post a Comment