Published: April 04, 2007 03:51 pm            

Dance to benefit transplant candidate

BROWNSBURG — Cassidy “Cassie” Curts is a normal 12-year-old, except that she’s been on the list for a kidney and liver transplant since early December 2006.

The Brownsburg West Middle School sixth-grader was diagnosed with a rare disease called primary hyperoxaluria at age 6.

Cassie’s mother, Angie Curts, explained that because of her condition, Cassie’s liver isn’t making the necessary enzyme to help her kidneys clean oxalates. And because the oxalates aren’t being cleaned, she has suffered from several serious bouts of kidney stones. As a result, her kidneys are severely damaged and are only functioning at 30 percent.

Angie said the oxalates are now in Cassie’s blood stream, and could travel to other parts of her body, specifically her joints or eyes.

She added that the odds are one in a million that two people with the recessive gene for the disease will produce a child with it. The Curts have a younger son who has been tested and is not affected by the disease.

Cassie has been put on many types of medication, a low sodium diet, and has to drink a lot of water. She hasn’t responded to the drug therapies, so her care has been turned over to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. She and her family travel there frequently, and that’s where her transplant will be done. While Cassie is near the top of the list, she has to wait for her new kidney and liver to both come from the same child donor.

Although the Curtses do have medical insurance, their bills are piling up. They incur the cost of travel expenses, time off work, and hotel stays, in addition to what their insurance won’t cover. As a result of the expenses, their relatives have been trying to come up with fundraisers to relieve financial pressures.

Cassie’s aunt, Angie’s younger sister, helped her make and design rubber bracelets, similar to the LiveStrong ones made popular by Lance Armstrong. They’re purple with symbols meaning “live, laugh, and love,” and are being sold for $2 each in local Brownsburg stores, such as R & R Music Central and Wilkinson Insurance Agency.

Cassie said it makes her feel good that so many people are trying to help her get well. As for the bracelet phrase, she said she “saw that phrase a lot at school and in magazines.”

Another fundraising effort is a Spring Fling dance from 7 p.m. to midnight April 14. It will be at the American Legion Post No. 331 in Brownsburg, and will feature a DJ, a silent auction, raffles, and a 50/50 drawing. Cost is $25 per person, which includes appetizers and a drink ticket. The dance is a dressy occasion, and tickets may be purchased by calling Jill Brocker at 852-3609 or Jenni Brocker at 858-5379.

The family is also organizing a comedy show at the Doghouse Sports Bar in Brownsburg for Aug. 11, which will feature Todd Yohn, a Bob and Tom Show favorite. The time and specific details are still being planned.

Anyone who would like to make a tax-deductible donation may do so at any State Bank of Lizton branch, by asking to contribute to the Cassidy Curts Special Needs Trust Fund.

lindsay.spaulding@flyergroup.com

        

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