Rett Syndrome Strollathon Raises $45,000

The International Rett Syndrome Foundation (IRSF), now known as Rettsyndrome.org, recently held its 10th annual St. Louis Strollathon and raised $45,000. All proceeds will benefit Rett Syndrome research.

This year the Strollathon had 400 participants which included 18 families of girls and women with Rett syndrome. More than $600,000 total has been raised from the past 10 walks. The Strollathon program, Rettsyndrome.org’s national signature fundraising event, has brought families together to fundraise and to strengthen the local Rett community since 2004. Strollathons have raised a grand total of nearly $10 million nationwide for research treatments and a cure in the last 13 years.

St. Louis features a specialty clinic to care for and support children with Rett syndrome and Rett-related disorders. The clinic, a collaboration between Washington University School of Medicine and St. Louis Children’s Hospital, was named one of 14 Rett syndrome clinical research centers of excellence. The clinic features a team of specialists with substantial experience in the diagnostic evaluation and treatment of individuals with Rett syndrome. By partnering with families and community healthcare providers, the clinic delivers care that is comprehensive and appropriate for a family’s individual needs.

Rett syndrome is a genetic neurological disorder that occurs almost exclusively in females and becomes apparent after 6-18 months of early normal development. It results in a regression that leads to lifelong impairments. Rettsyndrome.org is the world’s leading private, non-profit organization that has funded more than $40 million for research to date.

For more information, call Strollathon chair Joyce Opinsky at (314) 346-1323, e-mail her at stlstrollathon@gmail.com, or visit the organization’s web site at http://www.rettsyndrome.org.