A fish fry and silent auction for 6-year-old Ben Stewart will be held tomorrow afternoon at the Blakey Auto Plex Suzuki in Bossier City.

Fish fry plates will be available for $10 courtesy of Cypress Inn. The silent auction will begin at 4:30 and winners will be announced at 6 p.m.

Ben was diagnosed in May with Leigh Disease, a rare neurodegenerative disorder that affects the mitochondria in cells.

Wendi Blakey, childhood friend of Ben’s mother, Anna, organized the event and says that she has seen firsthand the effects of the disease.

“I’ve spent a lot of time with Ben and it’s obvious that he’s tired, but he’s just a typical little boy,” Blakey said.

According to Blakey, Ben currently has nine lesions on his brain and brain stem, drooping of the eyes, nausea and loss of energy. She says that there are very little ways to treat this disease and there is no cure at this time.

“Our hope is for Ben to meet the qualifications to take part in an experimental drug test at Stanford University in two months,” Blakey said. “That will be the first ever testing of a drug created to treat people with Leigh disease.”

Blakey hopes this fundraiser will not only raise money for Ben’s treatment, but also awareness about mitochondrial disorders in general.

“What we’re trying to do is to give a voice to Ben so people will know what’s going on with him and to raise awareness,” Blakey said. “It’s important to raise awareness because there are a lot of things that are connected to cell function and people don’t know that. We need to make sure there are more studies taking place and more health care funding for research on mitochondrial diseases.”

All items for the silent auction have been donated by local businesses and individuals specifically for this event.
Items to be auctioned include a New Orleans Saints autographed lithograph football, a hand selected pearl necklace and Pandora bracelet with a 14 karat gold and sterling silver World Health Organization charm from Connie and V. Cross Jewelers, hunting and outdoor items from the estate of Roger Elliott, a two night stay and dinner for two at The Vintage from the Eldorado Resort & Casino, a two night stay and dinner for two from Diamond Jacks Casino & Resort, a gift basket and dinner for two at Cypress Inn, a complete auto detail from Blakey Auto Plex Suzuki, numerous art pieces, a case of wine, a photo session from Elaine Pierce Photography and a handmade quilt donated by Ben’s great-aunt Ruth.

Proceeds from the fundraiser will go towards helping the family cover medical expenses from Ben’s treatment.
“It’s a financial strain on them at this time, but the most important thing to me is to ease that burden on them,” Blakey said

Blakey Auto Plex is located at 3601 Benton Road. Ben is the son of Phillip and Anna Stewart of Bossier City and the older brother of Beth Stewart.

Be first to comment this article

Only registered users can write comments.
Please login or register.

Powered by AkoComment Tweaked Special Edition v.1.4.6
AkoComment © Copyright 2004 by Arthur Konze - www.mamboportal.com
All right reserved