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News Courier/Karen Middleton
Amy Carter vows to reach corporate heads with CF campaign
“Maybe you can get the heads of big corporations to listen to me,” said Amy Carter from her Limestone Health Facility room. “They keep hanging up on me because they say I’m drunk.”
The 32-year-old daughter of Steve and Carol Carter of Athens has slurred speech because she was born with cerebral palsy and also suffers from reflex sympathetic dystrophy, an autonomic nervous system dysfunction, which causes burning and severe pain.
But that doesn’t deter Amy who is vowing to raise even more for cystic fibrosis than the $1,000 she raised last year. Amy, who moves around in a motorized wheelchair, will once more participate in the CF 2010 Great Strides
Walk, May 2, in the Bridge Street Town Centre.
“I thought this was a good time of year to remind people about CF when they’re in the spirit of giving,” said Amy. “I hope to reach large corporations because we’re getting so close to a cure it’s unbelievable.”
Amy’s team this year is named “Alex’s Dream.”
When Amy was a child of 9 she read Frank Deford’s book, “Alex: The Story of a Child,” about his daughter’s struggle against and eventual death from cystic fibrosis.
Deford, the former head writer for Sports Illustrated, served as national chairman of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation for 16 years. His daughter, Alex, died of the disease in 1980 at age 9.
Amy was so moved by Alex’s story that for more than 20 years she hasn’t been able to get the poignant message out of her mind.
This is the second individual fundraising drive for cystic fibrosis in honor and in memory of Alex Deford that Amy has conducted. Last year, Amy said, “My biggest dream is to hand him a check for cystic fibrosis personally and to hug his neck.”
Amy has yet to meet Deford in person, but she did get a phone call from Deford and his wife after last year’s News Courier story.
“I call my team ‘Alex’s Dream’ because Alex’s dream was to get all dressed up and have a great big party to celebrate the cure for cystic fibrosis. I believe we can fight for that dream. These people are angels in heaven. Alex was very aware she wouldn’t live. I believe there will be a party. Alex won’t make it to the party, but she will be aware of it in heaven.”
Amy said a blessed event in her family, the birth of her niece, Braly Kate Weldon, has brought home to her what a miracle it is to have a healthy child.
“My niece is 1 year and 4 months old and she is a real blessing,” said Amy. “I can’t imagine her not being healthy or giving her up at a young age because she was not healthy.”
Amy said children afflicted with CF have numerous infections because of a thick, mucus buildup in their lungs that like soured milk promotes the development of harmful organisms.
Amy described the CF child’s efforts to breathe being like those of a person finishing a marathon.
“People need to count their blessings and open their hearts and give whatever they can, even if it’s $2,” she said. “Every little bit helps.”
After having the phone hung up on her several times by people believing she was drunk, Amy stayed up until 3 a.m. working on a letter-writing campaign.
“I didn’t listen to my mother and I stayed up until my hip froze,” she said. “But I would stand the pain to take away their pain any day.”
To learn how to pledge to Amy’s campaign or to send donations to cystic fibrosis, visit: www.cff.org/great_strides. Amy’s team name is “Alex’s Dream.” Donations may be sent to Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, 3918 Montclair Road, Suite 201, Birmingham, AL 35213. Or for more information, call (800) 823-2357.
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