Mokena Family Hopes to Draw Attention to 14-year-old's Painful Disease

Mokena's Becca Collins, 14, suffers from a rare nervous system disorder that leaves her unable to see, walk or eat on her own. A fundraiser, which consists of a dinner with raffle prizes and more, is planned to help pay medical expenses.

It's scheduled April 28 at William Martin VFW Post 725, 19852 Wolf Road, the Sun-Times Media reports.  

Family friends have organized the event to raise funds for the mountain of medical expenses that insurance doesn't cover. But the family and supporters don't want to stop with attention to one child afflicted with the disease; they want to raise awareness of this rare disease and generate funds for research.

How to Attract National Attention

Ultimately the Collins Family is hoping to secure an appearance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" to draw attention to Batten Disease, which has left 14-year-old Becca blind, wheelchair-restricted and unable to feed herself. DeGeneres is the voice of the popular animated character, Dory. The sound of Dory's voice is the only thing that seems to soothe the girl who lives with constant pain, according to the Sun-Times Media report.

Fundraising organizer and family friend, Mokena's 23-year-old Amanda Werner, has dubbed the campaign, #BeccaFindingDory. She hopes the planned release of the animated film, "Finding Dory," which is a sequel to the popular "Finding Nemo," will generate some attention for Becca's cause.

Read the Sun-Times Media story to find out more about Becca and Werner's plans to raise funds.

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