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A message from the Umalis:
Dear Friends of MDA:
We’re glad you’re on the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s team! Together we’re on the front lines of the battle to conquer muscular dystrophy once and for all.
Your support ensures that MDA can continue funding lifesaving research and providing medical care, support services and information programs that are vitally important to families affected by muscular dystrophy. Simply put: We couldn’t do it without you.
We’re grateful for the genuine goodness demonstrated every day by the people involved in efforts to raise funds for MDA. On behalf of tens of thousands of families like ours, we salute the wonderful cast of volunteers, contributors and sponsors who give true meaning to MDA’s message of hope.
Sincerely,
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Getting to Know Me:
My name is Abbey. I’m 11 years old, and I live in California with my mom and dad.
I love school. Most of all, I like reading and math (and recess, of course). I love learning new things in school.
After school, I stay very busy reading, singing, swimming, dancing, riding my bike and spending time with my friends. I also play the piano, love to act, and I like to play lots of games. One of my favorite things to do is go to musicals. I have a pet bunny and two cats that I love very much. Oh, yeah, and my favorite show is “I Love Lucy.”
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My Life with CMT:
I have a form of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, one of the disorders covered by MDA. It affects my nerves and muscles. I don’t make enough myelin, which means that my muscles don’t hear the message from my nerves quite loud enough. My muscles are weak so I use braces to help me walk. I also have trouble balancing so I fall down a lot. I work really hard in physical therapy to make my muscles stronger and my balance better.
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The Umali Bunch:
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We are a really fun family. We like to make each other laugh a lot. My mom, Wendi, is a physical therapist (she’s a big help with my exercises), and my dad, Joel, is a dentist. He cleans my teeth and plays the piano with me. We love doing things together as a family like going to church, traveling, watching movies and playing games (especially Blink and Nancy Drew games). We also love going to bookstores and the library together.
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MDA & Me:
I was very excited to serve as MDA’s Goodwill Ambassador for California in 2006 and 2007. I loved traveling across our big state to tell people about all the wonderful things MDA is doing to find cures for muscular dystrophy.
And let me tell you about the Telethon! For four years in a row, I have been invited to appear on TV and tell my story to people all over the world who watch the MDA Labor Day Telethon. The best part is knowing that we’re being helpers to people who really need it.
I’m in my third year as National Goodwill Ambassador, and I love it! I’m looking forward to visiting more cities, telling people about MDA and thanking all the amazing sponsors who love and support children and adults of all ages with muscular dystrophy. This is the best job in the world!
I hope I’ll be able to visit with you sometime this year. The message I want to tell people is that there is hope for people with muscular dystrophy because of people with generous hearts. Remember, even if everyone gives a little, it’ll add up to something BIG!
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Thank You for Caring!
I promise I’ll work hard for MDA as National Goodwill Ambassador. I’ll do my very best to help win the fight against muscular dystrophy.
Thank you so much for being here to help.
Abbey Umali
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When I Grow Up:
