The Reading for Rachel Program was started by Matthew and Kevin Dorocak of Strongville, Ohio.  On October 9, 1999 their sister, Rachel, (who was 6 1/2 months old at the time) woke up and was paralyzed from the neck down. She spent 18 days in the hospital where she was diagnosed with Transverse Myelitis. Thankfully, Rachel has regained the use of her arms, but she remains totally paralyzed from the waist down. The prognosis for Rachel is uncertain; as it is for everyone who contracts TM.

Rachel’s birthday is March 24th. In honor of her birthday, her brothers, Matthew and Kevin, launched the inaugural Reading for Rachel Program in March 2000. Matthew and Kevin are starting a tradition in honor of their sister, and we are hoping that you will become a part of this tradition by participating in this wonderful learning experience. All funds received by The Transverse Myelitis Association for the Reading for Rachel Program will be used exclusively for research to better understand TM, to find treatments for the symptoms of TM, and to ultimately find a cure.

Matthew and Kevin are asking other students to help raise funds to support TM research by finding sponsors who will pledge and pay for each of the books they read during the program. Not only does this project provide research funds for The Transverse Myelitis Association, but it provides wonderful lessons about life and educational opportunities for all who participate.

If you are a teacher, a student or a parent of a student and would like to establish the Reading for Rachel Program in your school, everything you will need to get the program started can be found on the Reading for Rachel web site:

http://www.readingforrachel.org/

I am a second grade teacher at Worthington Estates Elementary School.  The WES community has participated in the Reading for Rachel program for a number of years and has been extremely supportive of this important cause.  Rachel and Cathy have made numerous visits to the school and have done a tremendous job in raising awareness about TM.  Our school has a special connection to the TM cause.  In addition to my having TM since 1994, our school principal, Dan Williams, was the principal of the elementary school in Strongsville, Ohio where Kevin and Matthew Dorocak were students and initiated the Reading for Rachel Program. 

Worthington Estates Elementary School held the Reading for Rachel program in October and November 2005.  There was wide and enthusiastic participation from the entire school community.  The PTA was involved and helped organize the program and designed bulletin board displays.  Our WES student council organized a program to raise extra dollars by selling the privilege to students allowing them to wear a hat to school for one day.  We held a competition to determine which grade level could do the most reading during the program, and we tracked this competition with bookmarks on the bulletin board display.  As always, the students, parents and teachers demonstrated great energy, compassion and generosity.  We were able to raise $1,390.58 this year for Reading for Rachel and for research on TM and the other rare neuroimmunologic disorders.

We are most appreciative of the support the Reading for Rachel Program and The Transverse Myelitis Association receives from the school districts who participate.  Their generosity and caring offers hope to Rachel and to the many other children and adults with TM.  If you are interested in starting the Reading for Rachel program in your school, please get in touch with Cathy and please visit the Reading for Rachel web site.

Cathy Dorocak
Rachel’s Mom
And National and International Chair of the Reading for Rachel Program
cathy[AT SIGN]readingforrachel.org
(440) 572-5574