Hailey Goranflo, 2002-2010

You may remember the story of my niece Hailey and her fight with Battens Disease. After a long battle which has included fundraisers to help pay for treatment, flights to China for stem cell research, and much financial and emotional support, Hailey has gone on to Heaven.

At 11:55PM January 17, 2002, Hailey passed peacefully with her immediate family present at their home just outside of Louisville, Kentucky. Her mother Miranda (my sister) has journaled much of the struggle they’ve endured at their website www.haileyandcartersdream.com.

The community of Rockford was involved in helping my sister’s family in several ways. First, when Cheap Trick’s Rick Neilsen donated not one but two autographed guitars that were auctioned off at one of our benefits, raising a total of $5000 toward Hailey’s medical expenses. Next, when Rockford news stations covered details of Hailey’s first trip to China as a mix up on Canada Air almost prevented her from being able to travel for her first round of treatments. Finally, upon Hailey’s story making national news, donations poured into their website from around the country and included gifts from Rockford residents.

On behalf of my family, we are so grateful for all the prayers and donations that have made a difference not only in Hailey’s life but also in research toward a better life for survivors of Battens Disease.

But the battle still looms for my sister Miranda and brother-in-law Neil. Their second child, Carter, was also diagnosed as having Battens and has begun displaying the initial symptoms. If you are interested in learning more about their plight and how you can help them and other families in the same situation, I would encourage you to visit their site.

STUDENTS PLEASE NOTE:

If you are a student and are reading this, I will be out of the studio for the week of January 18-22, 2010 and will allow you to either schedule a make-up or deduct the cost of one lesson from the next payment. Please notify me by sending an e-mail to mikerobertsmusicstudio@gmail.com as to what you would prefer. I will personally be in Louisville most of the week helping the family with funeral matters, as well as information to the press and news stations that have follwed Hailey’s story. I apologize for the “general” nature of this notice, but under the circumstances and with the number of students on my roster, I felt this was the most efficient manner in which to handle things.

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