Courtesy of Marge Shively
Volunteers stuff envelopes for the Walk-n-Roll fundraiser for spinal muscular atrophy. Pictured are, seated from left: Judy Doty, Walk co-chairwoman Krisie Nguyen, Ann Roper, Walk co-chairwoman Marge Shively, Rory Kaplan and Carolyn Ireland. Standing: Jane Halligan, Nancy Grippo, Nancy Cook, Joyce Johnsen, Carol Hackford, Peter Meigs, Lois Rosenblum, Walk co-chairwoman Pat Wolff. Not pictured: Judy William, Don McCauley, Vicki Oldberg, Judi Gentry, Kathy Radford, Annemarie Rosengreen, Marguerite Cardinal, Pat Frankenfeld and Marge Meigs.
Los Altos residents Marge and Jim Shively’s granddaughter, Jessica, was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy at 3 months old in 2002. She died three years later, just shy of her fourth birthday. The Shivelys and their daughter, Linda, Jessica’s mother, have since dedicated their time and energy to finding a cure for the disease.
SMA is the No. 1 genetic cause of death in infants. One in 50 people are carriers, and it afflicts one in 10,000 babies born, no matter the gender or ethnicity. SMA affects a child’s ability to crawl, sit, walk, swallow and breathe.