The Rappoport Family has now raised more than three quarters of a million dollars for SMA research, and to support SMA families
The 7th Annual Walk by The Jacob Isaac Rappoport Foundation was held in a beautiful setting in South Florida. Over 450 families and friends turned out to support an amazing cause, and have fun with climbing walls, bouncy castles and crocodiles! Donations are still rolling in, and the current tally for the 2010 event stands at $91,500!
The theme for the event this year was ‘wonder’.
An entry follows from the journal of Shaina Rappoport:
“wonder [wuhn-der], -verb,
1. to think or speculate curiously
i wonder how have i lived 7 years without you here. i wonder why is this our reality. strange that no matter how many years pass, i still can’t believe it. i wonder how you’d look now. a little like max and a little like sam? each time max puts on his soccer uniform, i wonder how you might have looked in one. each time sam runs down the hallway like a lightning bolt, i wonder how it’s possible to create a person whose muscles work together so effortlessly and yet yours were so weak that you were unable to swallow. each time jordan sings a song or writes a story, i wonder what stories you may have had to tell. the more our living children do, and the more our family changes and grows, the more we are left to wonder what might have been.
wonder [wuhn-der], -noun,
2. a miraculous or apparently miraculous thing or act; miracle
i know that your memory is a wonder in the miraculous sense. i guess that is what makes it so hard. i can still hear the oxygen machine, and your quiet laugh. i can remember exactly how it feels to touch your soft hair, or to hold you in my lap. i can feel the vibrations on our king-size mattress that you made with each labored breath. i can see adi making you a balloon garden, jordan reaching down to kiss you or pose for yet another picture. all as if it were yesterday. And yet, your wondrous memory is never enough. the emptiness is just too big.
as we ask you, once again, to participate in the seventh annual jacob’s run, walk
& roll to cure spinal muscular atrophy, a third definition of the word wonder comes to mind
wonder [wuhn-der], -verb,
3. to be filled with admiration, amazement, or awe; marvel
the contributions of our supporters fill us with amazement. the continued support of many generous people have enabled jacob’s run, walk & roll to cure sma to be an astounding success since its inaugural event in 2003. each year hundreds of people have contributed to our cause, and what we have accomplished has been nothing short of wondrous. we are so grateful for our many sponsors, fundraisers, participants, donors, committee members and volunteers who come together to make the event possible. jacob’s run, walk & roll has always been a celebration of life and love. as a direct result of our event’s success, the foundation has been an integral part of the progress toward finding a cure. and we are making a difference.”
Families of SMA is honored and privileged to have the support of the amazing Rappoport family. The Rappoports have created a memory for Jacob that has touched thousands of families in the SMA community.
Jacob is now and always will be a shining star for us all.
Meet Jacob Rappoport
Jacob was born on December 27, 2001. He was sent home from the hospital with a clean bill of health. At the age of four months, Jacob was diagnosed with SMA. He was never able to roll over, sit up or crawl. By the age of six months, he had lost the ability to swallow. On October 1, 2002, Jacob’s respiratory muscles had grown too weak to sustain him, and he died. He was nine months old. We miss him every minute of each day. Sadly, Jacob’s story is just ONE of many. We had never heard of SMA, but now we have pledged our lives to fighting this horrific disease. We have chosen to do this to honor our son’s memory.
Click here to find out more about The Jacob Isaac Rappoport Foundation.
Click here to see all the supporters, fundraisers and sponsors for the walk.
