Ashleigh’s Fight Against MALS fundraiser reeled in $42,000 for 12-year-old Ashleigh Neate, to help fund the local girl’s urgently needed trip to the United States for surgery so she can eat and be pain-free again.
Ashleigh has a condition called MALS (median arcuate ligament syndrome), which is not widely recognised, hence having to head to the United States to a doctor who has a 92 per cent success rate with surgery to help these patients.
Earlier this year one of those patients was Ashleigh’s older brother, Brayden, who had a successful operation after the same group of ladies (Cassie Taylor, Nakita Dyer and Pam Dyer) helped raise nearly $100,000 to get him to America for his fight against MALS.
Only a couple of month’s after Brayden’s successful surgery, Ashleigh was diagnosed with the same condition, even after doctors told their mother, Rebecca, that lighting doesn’t strike twice.
They were sadly proven wrong with Ashleigh’s diagnosis.
This fundraiser was four months in the making and everything went off without a hitch.
The organisers loved seeing everyone getting into the spirit on the night, every person having a chance to dance up a storm to popular local band, The Uncles, who played some all time favourites.
There were roughly 200 adults and a truckload of kids in attendance to support the cause.
Helping raise funds were nearly 150 mystery boxes, 23 auction items, Travel Scrabble and raffles, with Kylie Smith and Dennis Hall the auctioneers.
“Although we have raised so much money and it is a fantastic start, there is still a long way to go to make at least $100,000 to make Ashleigh’s operation happen,” the organisers said.
“We have a Facebook page, ‘Fight against MALS’, where you can follow our story right to the end and we have a fundraising account, which is still open for donations.
“We need to share the page and raise awareness of this rare condition as once Ashleigh is better we will go above and beyond to get Australia to recognise MALS and then help other people who are suffering, like Brayden did and now Ashleigh is, to get them the help they need without having to go to America.”
PICTURED: Ashleigh’s Fight Against MALS Fundraiser was held at Lucknow Hall on Saturday, raising money for local girl, Ashleigh Neate (pictured above with her brother, Max Neate), who is suffering from median arcuate ligament syndrome (MALS). Aiming to raise $45,000 to send Ashleigh to the United States for treatment, $42,000 was raised for the evening.
