Schools band together to help two families
It’s a rare sight to see mascots from opposing teams shaking hands and rallying together, but not quite as rare as the genetic disorders Xia-Gibbs and SIOD. The Muscle Shoals Trojan and the Phil Campbell Bobcat united in their efforts to boost support for three local students dealing with these disorders, coming together Oct. 19 to kick off of a fundraiser.
Students and faculty from both campuses joined together at Phil Campbell, after a separate event earlier at Muscle Shoals, to show support for these students who are afflicted with Xia-Gibbs and SIOD.
“The students were very attentive and seem to really care about this,” said Theresa Garrard, mother to one of the students.
Jackson Garrard, an eighth grader at Phil Campbell, is one of only 32 children in the world diagnosed with Xia-Gibbs Syndrome, which is a genetic disorder caused by a single mutation in a gene, Theresa explained.
Kruz and Paizlee Davenport, from Muscle Shoals, and are the first children in the United States to be diagnosed with Schimke immuno-osseous dysplasia, a rare genetic disease caused by a gene mutation.
The two schools have banded together for the first time to raise money for research for these two diseases.
“I told the kids at the kickoff that the impact of what they are doing to help this research will live on far beyond them,” Theresa said.
Part of the fundraising is being done through T-shirt sales. Shirts are $10 apiece, and orders need to be turned in by Nov. 1, PCHS teacher Amy Gunderman said.
“People can email me at amygunderman@franklin.k12.al.us for the order form or stop by the office,” said Gunderman.
Nov. 14 Muscle Shoals will host a flag football game, where faculty and students from both schools will be playing. Gunderman said the $2 admission into the game will also go to research.
“We really want to give back to these families as much as we can,” Gunderman said.
On Phil Campbell’s side, the fundraiser is being sponsored by the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America and the Junior Civitan Club, for both of which Gunderman is a teacher sponsor.
