Help Support the Meyer Family

ST. AUGUSTINE − On Feb. 28, 2011, Palin Rose Meyer was born to the family of Teddy and Heather Meyer. She is the second child of the Meyers, joining her brother Quinn. But Palin has had to fight since birth with a rare condition called Prader-Willi Syndrome.

Prader-Willi is a complex syndrome affecting appetite, growth, metabolism, cognitive function and behavior. The characteristics of PWS typically begin around kids’ age three-to-five years old are: 1) an insatiable appetite that cannot learn to be controlled; 2) rapid weight gain on very few calories due to a malfunctioning metabolic system; 3) babies show no interest in eating and have difficulty sucking, breathing and swallowing which is known as the “failure to thrive” stage; and 4) those with PWS need strict external controls which include access to food (i.e. padlocking food).

It is estimated that PWS affects one in 12,000 to 15,000 births. This syndrome affects both males and females across all ethnic groups. Currently, there is no cure. There are no medications or procedures that are successful in staving off the relentless hunger. Growth hormones have been effective in increasing height, improving body mass and metabolism, and boosting strength, energy and cognitive development.

Teddy is head women’s soccer coach at Flagler College and is entering his seventh year at his alma mater. Heather, a fellow Flagler graduate, was a special education teacher for St. Johns County, until the birth of Palin.

There will be two fund raising events to help assist the Meyer family. The first will be on Saturday, Aug. 20 from 5-8 p.m. Titled “Carnival for a Cause,” this is a dinner event at the Renaissance World Golf Village Resort. It will be a fun-filled evening of carnival games, face painting and a silent auction to follow the dinner. On Sunday, Aug. 21, at 3 p.m. at the World Golf Village’s Slammer & Squire Course, there will be a “Shamble” or “Florida Scramble” with contests for the longest drive, straight drive and closest to the pin as well as a 50/50 at check-in.

For more information on registering for these events and how you can donate and help Palin and the Meyer family, please visit their Web site at: http://palinrose.org. For more information on Prader-Willi Syndrome and how you can donate, please visit the Prader-Willi Syndrome Association’s official Web site at http://www.pwsausa.org.