Kittatinny wears purple for classmate

FREDON TOWNSHIP-Students in several classes at Kittatinny Regional High School made and distributed purple ribbons that were worn, Feb. 25, for classmate, Chase Veliz, a seventh-grader who suffers with a rare, incurable disease known as MPS. The U.S. Senate recently passed a unanimous resolution officially recognizing Feb. 25, as National MPS Awareness Day and the National MPS Society opened the NASDAQ Stock Market to celebrate the resolution. Kittatinny teachers and students decided to honor Chase in their own way by asking everyone at the school to wear purple ribbons that day. Mucopolysaccharidoses and Mucolipidoses are genetic disorders that cause cells to perform improperly, resulting in progressive damage throughout the body, including the heart, bones, joints, respiratory system, and central nervous system. The diseases are rarely apparent at birth, but the signs and symptoms develop with age as more cells become damaged. As the damaged cells accumulate in the body, the body shuts down, eventually leading to a premature death. Chase Veliz is the son of Rosemarie and Edmundo Veliz, of Fredon Township. The Veliz Family has crusaded to increase awareness for MPS and ML disorders and to mark National MPS Day, a day set aside annually to remember those who have lost their battles and those who struggle daily with MPS and ML. Chase and his family are members of the National MPS Society, a non-profit organization whose mission is to find a cure for MPS and ML disorders, provide support to individuals and families affected by MPS and ML diseases, and promote public and professional awareness of these disorders. As the original sponsor of the resolution, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said, "It is a parent's role to make sacrifices for their child; yet, for the parents of a child diagnosed with MPSA, the sacrifices area exceptional. I have had the opportunity to meet with a number of parents of MPS children. These parents exhibit amazing hope, love, grace and humor that can often mask the many trials they undergo in caring for their children. My staff and I are constantly impressed at their ability to advance their cause while also selflessly caring for their children." For information, visit http://www.mpssociety.org.