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Kids! of the Month
Amazing Kids! is proud to highlight the Amazing Kids! of the Month! Each month, we showcase kids who are accomplishing amazing things. We hope that by telling their special stories, we will inspire other kids to accomplish their own amazing achievements.
Amazing Kids! of the Month for August, 2001: Lucky Ladybugs for Lupus, Sparks, Nevada and Vancouver, Washington
Quotes of the Month: "Our hope is to make every effort to help those who remain undiagnosed to receive treatment and to work diligently to increase funding for Lupus research so that a cure may be found." Mission Statement of Lucky Ladybugs for Lupus
 Read the story about these amazing kids...and who knows? Maybe you'll want to get involved with Lucky Ladybugs for Lupus too!
ABOUT LUCKY LADYBUGS FOR LUPUS Lucky Ladybugs for Lupus is a project started by 3 caring young kids from Sparks, Nevada. In 1999, a 10 year old girl named Kristal started to paint and sell "ladybug rocks" with her brother Trevor, age 8. They would donate half the money to buy dog cookies for their local animal shelter. Before they even got started, Kristal's friend Diana's mother was diagnosed with Lupus and was hospitalized. Kristal found out there was no cure for her and asked her mom if they could donate all the money to Lupus research. And that is how Lucky Ladybugs for Lupus was born. The kids decided to try to raise $1,000
in one year. Amazingly, they raised $1,300 in 4 months! The ladybugs have,
to date, raised $2,200 for the Lupus Foundation
of America from sales alone and were honored with a $10,000 check from
the Make a Difference Day
project, which also went to Lupus research!! The project is still
going strong and to date has raised over $15,000, all of it donated to
the National Lupus Foundation of America!
More Fundraising Projects But that's not all! Trevor also started Pennies for Puppies, raising $210 for Canine Cancer research after the loss of his dog. From something as simple as dog cookies, these amazing siblings learned a wonderful lesson! On October 27th, 2001, Kristal and Trevor will be doing a walk around a local marina near their home for National "Make a Difference Day" (www.makeadifferenceday.com). This will be in conjunction with Trevor's "Pennies for Puppies" and Kristal's friend's project, called "Walk & Roll." (Kristal's friend is in a wheel chair after being hit by a drunk driver at the age of 5.) It is going to be a great day for everyone in Sparks, Nevada! Each child's project will raise funds and awareness for their cause. (Lupus Foundation, Canine Cancer Research, and Spinal Cord Injury research) Trevor and Kristal along with their mom, Jodi, and their friend, Diana, have decided to move on to other fundraising projects. Through the Lucky Ladybugs for Lupus, Diana, Kristal and Trevor met a young boy named Trevan, who has Lupus. He and his mom were very excited about the project when they heard about it and were anxious to get involved! Now Trevan and his brothers will be busy painting ladybugs throughout this coming year too!
Step For the Cure On Saturday, March 24th at 9am, Trevan walked 3 miles on the Klineline Trail in Vancouver, Washington to raise money for Lupus Research. He raised over $1300 for the Dorough Lupus Foundation! This foundation was founded by Backstreet Boy Howie D. after he lost his sister, Caroline, to this disease. Trevan's friend, Jackson, who also has Lupus, also did a Step for the Cure to raise money. Jackson lives in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and his walk raised over $17,000!!! Way to go, Jackson!!! Trevan's mom, Kristin, feels that Trevan's involvement with Lucky Ladybugs for Lupus is a positive way to help Trevan and his family to deal with having a chronic illness. These hard working and caring kids are proof that one or two people really can make a difference! Way to go, kids!
All of these caring kids have received much recognition and many honors for their hard work and dedication to helping fight Lupus. For example, the local television station heard about Trevor, Kristal and Diana and their project and did a story about the kids and their ladybugs. They were awarded the Jefferson Award for Public Service! In four short months, they raised
$1300. They saw an article about "Make a Difference Day", which is sponsored
by USA Today. Kristal decided to enter the Ladybug project, and guess what?
They were awarded one of ten national $10,000 Grand Prizes from Paul Newman,
and his company, "Newman's Own"! In April 2000, they went to Washington,
DC, to receive their "Make a Difference" award from country music artist
and child advocate Collin Raye. The money was donated to the Lupus Foundation
of America.
Next, Kristal and Diana went to Walt Disney World for the Millennium Dreamers competion, and were guests on the Donny and Marie Show, while Trevor returned to Washington, DC to receive the National Jefferson Award. In addition, Warner Brothers featured the kids and their project in a special Pokemon promotion called "The Difference of One," which told about how just one person can make a difference!
(definition from the Lupus Foundation of America., Inc. website: www.lupus.org) LUPUS is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes inflammation various parts of the body, especially the skin, joints, blood, and kidneys. LUPUS is sometimes difficult to diagnose. LUPUS is chronic but treatable. More people have Lupus than AIDS, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, and cystic fibrosis combined. 90% of sufferers are women 20-40,
although Lupus CAN affect males or females of any age.
Kids Get Lupus Too (Excerpt from LUPUS IN CHILDHOOD, an article by Phyllis Slutsky, RN and Barbara Ostrov, MD) About 20-25% of all Lupus occurs in children. While the exact number of cases is not known, it is not a rare disorder. Girls have lupus about three to seven times more often than boys. Research is being done to study many possible causes of lupus. Several studies have shown that there is a tendency for lupus to run in families. For kids who have Lupus, there is a discussion board on the following website where you can talk with other kids who have Lupus. You and your family can also join a special ICQ chat on Thursdays: http://www.mtio.com/kidboard/kidboard.html HOW TO BUY A LUCKY LADYBUG FOR LUPUS! To order a Lucky Ladybug for Lupus,
send an email to: Ladybugs4Lupus@lycos.com
ONLY $2 each plus 50 cents shipping
per ladybug!
For more information about Lupus, please contact the Lupus Foundation of America: Snailmail: Lupus Foundation of America., Inc. 1300 Piccard Drive, Suite 200 Rockville, MD 20850-4303 Email: lupusinfo@aol.com Phone: 301-670-9292; 800-558-0121 Website: www.lupus.org
<--Back to the Amazing Kids! of the Month Index
Back to the Amazing Kids! of the Month Index
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