Save-the-Date: Community Rallies Around Ukrainian Village Family to Help Give Them the Gift of Time

By chicago-pipeline at August 5, 2012 | 7:00 am | Print

Though a Sunday, August 19th Fundraiser at downtown’s Haymarket Pub and Brewery (737 W. Randolph) is out of the neighborhood, it has very local roots.

Local businesses Building Blocks Toys, Nando Milano Trattoria, Spa Soak, Lille’s Q, and Joe’s Wine Cellar are among the many that have contributed raffle and auction items to support Ukrainian Village’s Andre and Anne Polucuwicz, whose baby daughter, Isabel, was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Type I last fall.

SMA is an incurable genetic and degenerative muscular disorder. Type I is the most severe form, with children in this category typically having a prognosis of two years to live. Isabel has lost the ability to swallow, move her limbs, and breathe without assistance. She has a permanent feeding tube that requires clearance multiple times daily.

According to friends of the family who created this Facebook Page for the gathering, “After spending as much as 6 weeks at a time in the hospital, time away from work is making it difficult for this modest family to make ends meet and cover the exorbitant medical expenses. Anne, a restaurant server, is now limited to working very few hours in order to care for her daughter, and Andrei works overtime to try to help compensate, taking extremely precious time away from his daughter. Together we hope to make it easier for Anne and Andrei to focus on savoring every day together and help alleviate the worries of cost for medical treatment and living expenses.”

Fundraiser for Isabel takes place on Sunday, Aug. 19th from 5-8 p.m. Tickets are $50 and include 3-hour open bar of Belgian and American craft beer and wine and w/ hors d’oeuvres.  In addition to the cocktail reception, there will be a silent auction with over $7,000 in donated items, blind wine sale, and a 50/50 cash raffle with bonus prizes.  RSVP and purchase tickets by August 15th at http://fundraiser4isabel.eventbrite.com/
Haymarket Pub & Brewery, 737 W Randolph.

Email maggie.matuszewska@gmail.com for more details on the fundraiser or to donate to the raffle. Those who cannot attend but would like to make a donation to Andre and Anne can do so here.  *Attendees who do not wish to partake in the open bar/food package are kindly asked to make a suggested donation of $10 (per attendee) and will have access to a cash bar.

Photos courtesy of the event’s FB page. 

 

Articles Business Featured Neighborhoods Residential Ukrainian Village Updates Wicker Park Nando Milano Trattoria, SMA, spinal muscular atrophy