Lakefield Herald Special Report

Local businesses, entertainers plan fundraiser for Cystic Fibrosis

by Anita Locke

A musical charity night is being held Saturday, October 25. It’s a fundraiser for Cystic Fibrosis Research being spearheaded by a group of family and friends of Ken and Pam Grady of Douro.

Two of their three children, nine-year-old Nicholas and 10-year-old Kenny, suffer from cystic fibrosis.

The boys were diagnosed with the disease shortly after Nick was born. Subsequent testing on Kenny showed that he also has cystic fibrosis.

For the Grady family, life follows a strict routine. Nicholas and Kenny undergo daily therapy at home by their parents and sister Emily.

That involves a dose from an inhaler, and a half hour of physiotherapy which involves the children laying on their stomach and having their back slapped to loosen and clear mucus from their lungs twice a day.

If the children are sick with a cold, that routine takes place four times a day and they are put on high doses of antibiotics.

It also means trips to Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto every three months, which the family has been doing for the past nine years.

The boys also have to take special medication before they eat in order to ensure that their digestive system processes the food properly.

“We’re very vigilant,” Ken says. “We monitor them closely, and if it looks like they’re getting a cold, we get them to the doctor right away. We don’t take any chances.”

The musical charity night is being held from 7:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. at the Lions Centre, 347 Burnham Street (East City), Peterborough.

Many local businesses and entertainers are working together for this first annual fundraiser to raise as much money as possible for Cystic Fibrosis Research.

Entertainment includes The Indian River Band (Ken Grady Sr., Ken Grady Jr., Tony Grady, Cathy Brown-Payne, Paul Osborne and Dan Houpt), as well as Mike and the Mustangs (J. Murray Jones, Mike Towns and Len Young) and The Dysrhythmics (featuring nurses from Peterborough Regional Health Centre – Suzanne McDonald, Judy Terrion, Jen Nash, Cheryl Osborne, Shareen Roxborough and Angie Thomas).

There will be a live auction (courtesy Doug Mitchell Auctions) featuring great items including artwork by Michael Dumas and George Elliot, a 3,500 Watt Generator, Birkenstock Sandals, two tickets to the Celine Dion Concert November 7 in Ottawa and more.

There will also be numerous penny table items and lunch will be provided courtesy of The Whistle Stop Cafe.

CF is the most common, fatal genetic disease affecting young Canadians. It is estimated that one in every 3600 children born in Canada have CF.

CF is a multi-organ disease affecting primarily the lungs and the digestive system. In the lungs CF causes severe breathing problems with a buildup of thick mucus which leads to cycles of infection and inflammation.

In 1960 a child born with CF rarely lived four years. Today, half of all Canadians with CF are expected to live into their late thirties and beyond. It is only through research and generous support that these children are living longer and better lives.

Cystic Fibrosis drugs aren’t cheap. It costs many thousands of dollars a year to treat each child, and the cost is borne by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation if parents don’t have health benefits.

“We are doing this fundraiser to raise money for Cystic Fibrosis research,” Ken adds, “and our plan is to do it every year.”

Tickets are $10 each and available at Grady’s Feet Essentials, Douro Automotive or at the door.

For more information, call Paul Osborne at (705) 652-8082.

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