Derek
The Derek’s Dream Mission
Derek DiGregorio smiles easily, wrestles with his brothers, works hard to get his school work done and spends his free time pursuing his athletic championships in taekwondo. In other words, he’s very much like any other 12-year-old boy in many ways.
In one major way, though, Derek’s world is sadly different from the majority of children his age. Today, and every day, Derek faces a hideous genetic disease called Ataxia Telangiectasia, which affects three people out of every million and offers the grim prognosis of a life expectancy unlikely to reach much past 20 years.
Derek, his family, and their friends are not giving in to this opponent. Instead, they have together created Derek’s Dreams, a group dedicated to raising the awareness and resources necessary to combat Ataxia Telangiectasia.
The group’s goal is twofold. First, there are the needs of Derek himself, which will only increase during the next few years and which will make normal day-to-day life difficult. Second, there is the more global desire to attack the disease itself, so that future children and families can have a better chance against Ataxia Telangiectasia. This will involve working with government agencies and private organizations to fund greater research and
support efforts.
Derek’s dream is to live as long and happy a life as possible, surrounded by friends and family, able to pursue his education, goals and hobbies. Derek’s Dreams is committed to making it happen.
Please help by supporting Derek’s Dream
NANINA’S FUNDRAISER A GREAT SUCCESS!
Nadia, Derek, and the Schianos
Greg Schiano, Nunzio Campanile, Phil Simms
The DiGregorios
We will never forget what all of you accomplished last night. I know that it took so much time from other things in your lives, and as I said last night, I don’t think that either Nadia or myself can really put out gratitude into the right words to let you know how much we think of all of you. I tried my best to do that last night. When Derek was first diagnosed, I told Msgr. Nolan, our pastor at St. Paul’s that I thought Nadia and I were trying to move this mountain and it seemed impossible. Last night, I felt the mountain move!
Read about the event here:
http://www.towntopics.com/apr2810/sports5.php
http://goprincetontigers.blogspot.com/2010/04/dream-for-derek.html
http://www.trentonian.com/articles/2010/04/20/sports/doc4bce22e860d76254149826.txt
http://www.nj.com/sports/times/index.ssf?/base/sports-6/1271656005141530.xml&coll=5
Here’s a link to some great photos from the April 21 gathering at Nanina’s, courtesy of Chris Helm:
http://chrishelm.zenfolio.com/p60974673
and some other great shots chronicaling the memorable evening:
http://s902.photobucket.com/albums/ac221/sdigregorio/?start=all
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Sincerely,
Ernie Barsamian (ebarsamian@aol.com)
Howard Levy (howardl@hypnyc.com)
Steve Verbit (Verbit@princeton.edu)
Michele DeMatteo ( Michele6@live.com )
Jess Deutsch – (jdeutsch@princeton.edu)
Never, doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed friends can change the world; indeed its the only thing that ever has. ( Margaret Mead)
