Monday 17 June 2013

Time to turn 2013 around!


It has been a rather unsettling start to 2013 for my family and those we love dearly.  Battles with illness, lost loved ones, relationship breakdowns, school bullying, forced business closures and so much more sadness.  I have felt recently that there hasn't been much joy so far in 2013, so now it is time for it all to turn around!  I strongly believe that out of every sadness and every disappointment there is a way to make a positive, even if it is a small one in comparison.
One event this year has touched my family in a way I never want them to experience again, the loss of a son, a grand-son, a nephew, a cousin, and at only the age of 3 months old.  My dear friends lost their son Lachlan  as a result of Spinal Muscular Atrophy - SMA (find out more about SMA here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinal_muscular_atrophy and here: http://www.smaaustralia.org.au/ )
The first thoughts that came to my mind after hearing the news of Lachlan's diagnosis was " What is SMA?: and then "Why haven't I heard about it before if it is actually the most common genetic cause of death for infants?" and that is where I now choose to make a positive from such heartbreak.  Everyone that I know will now be aware of SMA and they may pass the knowledge onto their families and friends, who in turn pass it on further down the line.   Positive number 1: Creating Awareness.  This is not enough though, not for all those families that have lost their sons and daughters.  There needs to be help for those families, there needs to be testing widely available and discussed during early pregnancy and there needs to be funding for research programs.  Positive number 2: Fund-raising and more fundraising
Having raised over $1800 earlier in the year for the Spinal Muscular Atrophy Association of Australia through an on-line auction involving many generous businesses from across Australia, I intend to keep on raising more funds with the release of the Lachie Lion PDF Sewing Pattern through Little Sew & Sews.  Lachie the Lion has been designed in conjunction with Moogie&Me and will be a long-term fundraiser for SMA Australia.  Proceeds from the sale of the pattern and from Moogie&Me's Lachie Lion print will be donated to SMA Australia in a continued effort to raise awareness of SMA and funds for research and support programs.



You can find the Lachie Lion PDF Sewing Pattern available for purchase here: http://littlesewandsews.bigcartel.com/product/pdf-sewing-pattern-lachie-lion-plush-photo-tutorial-e-file-proceeds-to-sma-australia

If you would like to support SMA Australia by donating money, please consider donating through Lachlan's Legacy here: http://makingadifference.gofundraise.com.au/page/lachlanslegacy

If you don't sew but would love a Lachie Lion made for someone special, please email me at littlesewandsews@hotmail.com for further information