Dear Friends and Family,

Our goal this year is to raise $50,000 for the Biliary Atresia Fund for the Cure. As many of you know, my son, Nicholas Wallace, was only two weeks old when he was diagnosed with Biliary Atresia, which affects approximately one infant in every 15,000, but the cause of this disease has not yet been discovered. When Nicholas was 3 ½ weeks old, he underwent a Kasai procedure. In Nicholas’s case, the procedure was successful. He has continued to do extremely well although he will eventually require a liver transplant.

Our 2006 accomplishments are listed below for you to see as well.

1. We are also excited to share with you that the first ever NIH/ALF International Symposium on Biliary Atresia was held in Washington on September 11, 2006, during which, we formulated the essential research agenda for Biliary Atresia. This Symposium was made possible through funding provided by the American Liver Foundation, the National Institute of Health, and Nicholas.

2. Brochures detailing risks of prolonged Neonatal Jaundice were distributed to pediatricians and parents. Early diagnosis and treatment of pediatric liver disease, especially Biliary Atresia, will save lives.

3. Research is underway regarding the inflammatory mediators causing Biliary Atresia and disease progression. It is hoped that this will lead to medications that will alter disease progression and the need for liver transplantation.

4. Studies regarding the likely viral etiology of Biliary Atresia are in progress. This may lead to prenatal and postnatal testing resulting in early diagnosis, and later, to prevention of new cases, resulting in a cure.

Please join Team Nicholas by donating today and/or joining us at the walk on May 5, 2007 at 7:30 am by selecting the Register Now button above. We look forward to having you join us in support of the American Liver Foundation, Biliary Atresia Fund for the Cure !