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8 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • September 2015 letter to the readers PRODUCTION PUBLISHER Leigh Anne Van Doren Tabitha & Jamie Nelle's mom EDITOR-AT-LARGE Chris Jones Jordan, Quincy & Hayden's dad OPERATIONS & MARKETING Heidi DiEugenio, President, HD Solutions Duke & Dane's mom OFFICE MANAGER & EVENT PLANNING Stephanie Maldonado; Julia, Tyler & Aiden's mom ADVERTISING SALES REPRESENTATIVES Sheila Giscard; Jack's mom Jodi Urquhart; Noah & Carly's mom Liz Colon; Olivia Grace's mom Emma Stevens DESIGN & PRODUCTION Cheryl Carter, President, Carter Creations Alex, Kate & Jackie's mom WEBMASTER Karen Charney Joshua & Spencer's mom CALENDAR EDITOR Leigha Pecher Jake & Luke's mom CIRCULATION Krista Starosta Nick, Andrew, Kaylin & Kensington's mom COMMUNITY BLOGS Mary Becelia Katherine Laura & Robert Joseph's mom FACEBOOK COMMUNITY Pamela Quinones: Corinn, Michael, Isabella & Dalton TWITTER, INSTAGRAM & PINTEREST COMMUNITY MANAGER Brenda Sapanghila: Archer & Maddox's mom parent fredericksburg & family Entrepreneur of the Year PROUD FOUNDING MEMBER ADVERTISING PHONE 540/374-1495 E-MAIL adsales@fredericksburgparent.net CALENDAR & RESOURCE REQUESTS E-MAIL calendar@fredericksburgparent.net E-MAIL resources@fredericksburgparent.net EDITORIAL PHONE 540/374-1495 E-MAIL editor@fredericksburgparent.net SNAIL MAIL P.O. Box 7884, Fred'bg, VA 22404 www.fredericksburgparent.net The publishers reserve the right to reject any advertisement, editorial or listing that does not meet the publication's stan- dards. No part of this magazine may be reproduced with out permission. Listing and advertising rates are available upon request. Every effort has been made to assure the accuracy of the information contained herein, however, the publisher cannot guarantee such accuracy. Listings and advertisements are subject to typographical errors, ommissions and/or change without notice. For terms and condi- tions please visit our website at www.fredericksburgparent.net © Copyright 2015 Nurture, Inc. All rights reserved. O ur community is fortunate to have so many people dedicated to helping families with pediatric illnesses. Be sure to check out the article on pediatric cancer awareness month featured on our cover. It's on page 12. In addition to pediatric cancer awareness, September is also CMT awareness month in Virginia. Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT), a progressive incurable neuromuscular disease, affects 1 in 2,500 people, yet it remains far more obscure than its more well-known cousins, muscular dystrophy and ALS. CMT's symptoms can be invisible to the casual observer, but they eventually have a profound affect on walking, hand dexterity and energy levels. There is no cure. My personal interest in CMT began when my now 17-year-old daughter was diagnosed with CMT1A at 13. A quarter of her high school years were spent in casts, wheelchairs or on crutches. She had excellent local medical care and outstanding support from Stafford High School staff. Thanks to her teachers and her doctors, I dropped her off last Saturday to start her freshman year of college. My goal now is to help find a cure for CMT through public awareness and fundraising. Cmtausa.org is funding exciting research into gene-based cures that are closer to fruition than ever. Like the families featured in this issue, I am grateful to live in a community that supports its sickest members and look forward to the day all of us can defeat cancer and neuromuscular diseases. Leigh Anne Van Doren is the publisher of Fredericksburg Parent and Family. BY LEIGH ANNE VAN DOREN Standing In the Gap For Our Children