Camp Twitch 2019 Fundraiser

Earlier this year my son Michael (8 years old) was diagnosed with tourettes syndrome which is a life-long neurological condition characterised by multiple physical and verbal tics/twitches that can be very disruptive to his daily life.

We joined an awesome organisation called Tourettes Association of New Zealand (TANZ) who provide support, guidance, and opportunities for people living with this condition and their families.

The children of TANZ have the opportunity to attend Camp Twitch 2019 this year which is a camp dedicated to children and adolescents with tourettes syndrome that allows them to get together, create friendships and support circles, and participate in activities/challenges that aim to build their self-esteem and confidence.

Unfortunately, for many families at TANZ the cost of sending their children with tourettes to camp this year is out of reach. Between costly specialist appointments, physiotherapy and other necessary medical treatments related to the condition, the ability to put aside funds for camp on top of this is extremely difficult for some families. We have found ourselves to be in this position, and have been made aware of others in TANZ who are struggling too, so I've decided to fundraise not only for Michael, but for other children in TANZ as well.

I'm a licensed Zumba instructor and will be running a Zumba fundraising event on Saturday the 31st August to raise funds for camp. However, I've realised that some people may not be able to attend the fundraiser, but may still wish to donate. For this reason, I've decided to set up this givealittle page so that those kind people who have indicated they want to donate, but can't attend the main event, can still do so.

All proceeds from both the fundraising event, and from this page will be put towards sending Michael and his peers from TANZ to Camp Twitch 2019. This camp is an amazing opportunity for these kids to meet other people with the same condition as them, and I know particularly for my son that it will be the first time he has met a significant number of others with his condition. He is currently the only one in his school with tourettes syndrome and at times feels very isolated.

So if you want to get behind a very worthwhile cause that is the opportunity of a lifetime for many of these kids, then we'd really appreciate your kind donations. No amount is too small, every dollar counts.

Thank you for reading.