opportunity to help hps network

An opportunity to help the HPS Network

Many members of the HPS Network have projects they do to help raise

funds to do all the things that we do. My friend Karen's project is to

organize participation in The Human Race, an event in her area. She's

asked me to share the following letter written by her daughter who is

looking for sponsors for the event. As many of you know, we're not

having the Groundhog Trivia Tournament in Kansas City this year - so

this might be a great way for some of the trivia fans out there to

still help out. The photo above is Holly, Karen's daughter, standing

next to her senior project last year all about HPS.

Dear Friends, Family and Faithful Readers,

I am involved in a fundraising event to benefit the community of local

nonprofit organizations by getting sponsors through a single donation.

The organization I have chosen is the Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome (HPS)

Network because my mother, Karen Tillman, has this serious illness,

and quite frankly I would like to find a cure or a way to help my

mother deal with symptoms.

HPS causes albinism, a visual impairment, a platelet dysfunction with

prolonged bleeding, and progressive symptoms including pulmonary

fibrosis, inflammatory bowel disease (similar to Crohn's Disease), and

kidney disease. Mom has all the above, with the exception of kidney

disease and must deal with them on a daily basis. At the moment there

is no cure for HPS, you can only treat the symptoms, and death occurs

in patients with pulmonary fibrosis usually in their 30's and 40's. My

mom is 42 and in the early stages of Pulmonary Fibrosis, so you can

see why this issue is so urgent and dear to my heart.

If you'd like to make a donation, please make checks payable to The

Human Race, and write, HPS Network, in the memo line. and mail them to

The Human Race c/o Karen Tillman 4114 Landerwood Dr. Greensboro, NC

27405 Please have this sent to me by March 20th 2007. If you would

like to walk or run for the HPS Network, give my mom a call (she is

regional coordinator for the Network here in Greensboro, NC) at (336)

954-3604. The race is to be held at Grimsley High School on Sat. March

24th from 9am-noon. Refreshments and entertainment will be provided.

The event is sponsored by the Volunteer Center of Greensboro. All

contributions are tax deductible.

With Deepest Gratitude

Holly Tillman (daughter of Karen Tillman)

PS Mom will be going to The National Institutes of Health in April to

try and rectify some bleeding issues, so be in prayer for her while

she is there. To learn more about my mom go to

www.myspace.com/karenshpskorner

Our goal is to raise $5000 this year, so please pass this post along