Community Corner

Fitness Gear Sale Helps "Crusade for Connor"

The Fitness Pursuit in Grayslake is holding a fitness gear sale to benefit Connor Semenske, a baby fighting a rare and potentially fatal genetic disease.

Saturday is hosting a Fitness Resale for endurance athletes from 1-4 p.m. Saturday, April 21 in an effort to help raise money for the Crusade for Connor, a charity benefiting a little boy with a HLH, a rare and highly fatal genetic disease.

The Fitness Resale is a chance to purchase some gently used workout gear and clothing. Proceeds benefit Crusade for Connor, a group that helps raise funds to pay for the care of little Connor Semenske of Milwaukee.

Connor has HLH or Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis also known as hemophagocytic syndrome. The disease is one in which Connor's immune system is hyperactive and attacking his internal organs, according to his site on CaringBridge.

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What this means is that Connor is a very sick little boy, who has spent more time in his short six months on this planet inside of the hospital than out. While most babies his age are cutting teeth and learning to crawl, Connor has already gone through chemo, a cord-blood transplant and has suffered a lifetime of pain.

His CaringBridge site describes it this way, as though Connor was telling his own story:

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At 8 weeks old I was diagnosed with a rare and serious genetic condition called HLH (Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis). It is fatal if not treated but my doctors caught it in time. HLH is estimated to affect 1.2 children per million per year, or 1 in 50,000 live births.

HLH means my immune system (some of my white blood cells) is hyperactive and attacking the bad AND the good including my liver, spleen, and other blood cells. The goal of the treatment (called HLH-2004) is to kill the overactive cells with a combination of chemotherapy and steroid medicines. After daily treatment of steroids and weekly chemotherapy I completed the HLH-2004 treatment protocol in 8 weeks on Dec 30, 2011. 

Both Connor and his parents need your help as their medical bills pile up.

TFP coach Matt Peterson will open The Fitness Pursuit to host the event, and also let people check out TFP facilities as well as his new high tech recovery boots. 

In addition, the RAM Racing Hot Chocolate RV will be there and will sell and donate treats.

For information, visit The Fitness Pursuit's Facebook page by clicking here.


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