HERO MOM | September 2015

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KRISTEN GRAY OF NAPERVILLE

Founder of The Charlotte & Gwyneth Gray Foundation

Watching her 4.5-year-old daughter, Charlotte, struggle on a daily basis with walking, speech and social interactions has been gut wrenching for Naperville native Kristen Gray, wife of Hollywood producer Gordon Gray (best known for making inspirational sports movies like Miracle, Million Dollar Arm, and The Rookie).

Charlotte was diagnosed in March 2015 with late infantile NCL Batten disease CLN6. Charlotte’s 2-year-old sister, Gwyneth, shares the same diagnosis. This neurode-generative brain disease is extremely rare and will leave the girls blind, immobile, cognitively impaired - and life expectancy is between 6 and 12; hence the driving force behind funding 10 million dollars for immediate research.

“We are taking a three-pronged approach with cellular therapy, gene therapy and small molecule therapy,” Kristen shares. “Secondly, we need to put money towards the proposals to get those treatments underway immediately as NO ONE else is doing it.”

Even in Kristen’s most exhausted state, her mind is constantly running with what opportunities may arise tomorrow to halt the progression of the disease haunting her two young daughters. This hero mom has no plans on giving up until a cure is found. Support her fight at www.curebatten.org.

STORY UPDATE:

On October 3, Friends for the Charlotte and Gwenyth Gray Foundation to Cure Batten Disease will hold a benefit at the Embassy Suites at 1813 Arbiter Court in Naperville. The event will feature a 6:30 cocktail reception, dinner, entertainment and a live auction. Celebrities Giuliana and Bill Rancic will host the evening. Tickets are $150 each, and sponsorship packages are available.

Organizers are hoping for a sell-out crowd to fill up the ballroom at the Embassy Suites. For more information or to purchase tickets, please call 630-369-9070 or email napercurebatten@gmail.com. Tickets also can be purchased online at https://curebatten.ejoinme.org/naperville. Please RSVP by September 25th.

Photo Credit Larissa Block from Beauties and Babies Photography