MEET THE 10th ANNUAL GUMBO COOK-OFF RECIPIENT:
The beneficiary of The 10th Annual Gumbo Cook-Off, scheduled for Saturday, January 30th, 2016, is beautiful eighteen month old, Anniston Bazar, who was diagnosed in October of 2014, at just six months old, with a terminal luekodystrophy, known as Krabbe Disease. Children with Krabbe Disease have a defect on chromosome 14 and are also missing the GALC enzyme. Missing this essential enzyme, allows for the accumulation of a toxin known as psychosine to build up and begin the demyelination process. During demyelination, messages to the brain become distorted resulting in disability, immobility, blindness, and loss of all critical life functions, typically leading to respiratory failure before the age of 2.
Anniston sees a specialist in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania every six months for specialized treatment of her disease. She has 2 hours of physical therapy, 2 hours of speech therapy, and 30 minutes of music therapy per week. She takes 7 different types of medication on a daily basis and is fed through a peg-tube every 4 hours around the clock. Anniston is the daughter of Corey, son of Allen and Christa Bazar, and Reesa Meche Bazar, daughter of Danny and Melodie Meche, of the Leonville/Arnaudville area. Corey and Reesa have two other children Levi, age 4, and Liam, age 3. The Bazars have a huge heart and are working to raise awareness of Krabbe Disease through fundraisers, benefits, and Anniston’s Facebook page: Always Anniston. They are currently working with Representative Stephen Ortego to write Anniston’s Act which would add Krabbe into newborn screenings in Louisiana. If Anniston’s act would pass, every infant would be tested for Krabbe at birth and if the child tests positive forKrabbe action could be taken to ensure the child has a relatively normal, healthy life. Please join us in embracing Anniston and her family and showing them the best our community has to offer! As always, much love, many thanks, and God Bless!”
Any questions concerning the gumbo cook-off rules call: Jason at (337)331-2837 or Tim at (337)658-1108.