Eliza’s Team

Rachel VanGelder / 2023 Race to a Cure

Our goal is to help support the scientists working tirelessly to develop therapies and treatments for children—including our Eliza—suffering from FOXG1 Syndrome, a rare neurological and genetic disease.

  • $16,150

    Raised

  • $10,000

    Goal

  • 22

    Supporters

  • 0

    Days Remaining

Recent Transactions

  • Theresa Shaltanis

    $100.00 / 330 days ago

    Thank you to Ben & Rachel for sharing this cutting-edge research. Praying for advances that benefit Eliza and many more!

  • Anonymous

    $1,000.00 / 339 days ago

    Love you Ben, Rachel, Eliza and Oliver

  • Linda Berg

    $50.00 / 341 days ago

    Such a happy looking little girl! Looking forward to a cure!

  • Eduard VanGelder

    $5,000.00 / 343 days ago

  • Tommy Sheppard

    $450.00 / 349 days ago

  • Christian Hecht

    $1,000.00 / 355 days ago

  • John Lady

    $1,000.00 / 357 days ago

    Praying of Eliza and her amazing progress! She has wonderful and dedicated parents that trust Jesus is with them during this journey.

  • Lucinda Hagler

    $1,000.00 / 359 days ago

  • Emily VanGelder

    $250.00 / 359 days ago

    So proud of our Eliza! Love you so much! -Em and Maggie

  • John Canatsey

    $50.00 / 360 days ago

  • June Pita

    $1,000.00 / 363 days ago

    God is Good all the time! We are praying for a cure. Much love, Bobby and June Pita

  • Christine Bernat

    $100.00 / 364 days ago

  • Jennifer Lambert

    $100.00 / 365 days ago

    It’s such a joy to watch you grow Eliza! We love you and your family so very much!

  • Elizabeth Burke

    $1,000.00 / 366 days ago

    We love you Eliza, Rachel and Ben and now can't wait to meet Oliver! Love, The Goulds

  • Teri Jones

    $200.00 / 366 days ago

  • Melissa Hecht

    $1,000.00 / 366 days ago

  • David Marsh

    $250.00 / 366 days ago

  • Buffy McTureous

    $1,000.00 / 366 days ago

    So proud to be Eliza Faith’s Grammy & Papa Coach 🥰 we love you Eliza!

  • Benjamin Love

    $1,000.00 / 366 days ago

  • Robin Wasserman

    $100.00 / 367 days ago

    With all the love for Eliza

  • Marissa Roy

    $250.00 / 367 days ago

  • Lindsay Kijewski

    $250.00 / 367 days ago

    With gratitude to God and boundless love for our very dear Eliza and her incredible parents and brother, Lindsay and Will Dausman

About Eliza’s Team

Our beautiful, 2-year-old daughter Eliza suffers from FOXG1 Syndrome—a rare, pediatric, neurological disorder that impacts brain development and causes severe developmental disabilities. Eliza’s diagnosis brings with it a number of challenges. To name but a few, low muscle tone in her abdomen makes controlling her body difficult, she struggles with purposeful hand use, and her vision is impaired. Many children with this syndrome never obtain the ability to walk or talk, and suffer from epilepsy, severe feeding difficulties and gastrointestinal distress, and sleep disturbances. What may not be listed in your average symptoms list—but has become exceedingly clear to us as we’ve gotten to know the beautiful person Eliza is and made several friends with the same diagnosis—is these kiddos have a seemingly unbreakable resilience, a staggering ability to learn and to grow despite being dealt extremely difficult cards, and kind and joyful dispositions nothing short of radiant. And these are not hollow accolades or consolations, there is a sort of magic to these kids.

 It is one of the deepest yearnings of our hearts that one day, Eliza and others with the same diagnosis will no longer have to suffer with the devastating effects of this syndrome. It is impossible to describe the hope with which we were filled in getting acquainted with the FOXG1 Research Foundation and learning that our yearning is not a pipe dream at all, but a nearly-present reality. In the last several years, researchers partnering with the Foundation have made enormous strides in understanding the FOXG1 gene and the disease caused by its dysregulation, and in developing therapies to help those children who suffer from the syndrome. The Foundation is mere years—not decades—away from advancing meaningful treatments to FDA clinical trials, treatments that promise not only to largely eliminate the effects of the disease in future generations, but to have life-changing restorative effects in older individuals currently living with FOXG1 Syndrome. We feel deep gratitude for the tireless work being done to mitigate the impact of this disease for kids like Eliza, which is why we have joined the “Race to a Cure.” We would be immensely grateful for any who wish to partner with us and support this incredible cause.

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