Girls raise money and awareness for cystic fibrosis

The last time Madelyn Herberger and Livvy Tomassetti met, the two lively and determined girls were in preschool.

Neither of the Libertyville fifth-graders can remember that time. But the 10- and 11-year-old reconnected last month at Rockland School in Libertyville.

Madelyn’s work to raise money for cystic fibrosis is bringing the two girls together. Livvy has cystic fibrosis.

Madelyn is a fifth-grader at Rockland School while Livvy is a fifth-grader just a couple blocks away at St. Joseph School.

Inspired by a high school basketball game where shirts were sold to raise money for Liv For a Cure Foundation, Madelyn began contemplating how she could help.

Livvy’s mom, Lisa, founded Liv for a Cure with Chicago’s Children’s Memorial Hospital after Livvy was diagnosed with the disease. Cystic fibrosis is a chronic, progressive and frequently fatal genetic disease of the body’s mucus glands. It primarily affects the respiratory and digestive systems in children and young adults. There is no cure.

By the end of last school year, Madelyn told her special education teacher Danya Greenberg that she wanted to help Liv for a Cure. At that time, they did not realize Livvy also lived in Libertyville and was a fifth-grader.

Greenberg helped Madelyn write an essay for a Rockland School contest to decide which groups or organization the school would help raise money for in the 2010-11 school year under the Rockland Cares banner.

Fellow Rockland special education teacher Meriann Negovetich, who also works at St. Joseph School, said she accidentally saw the essay on Greenberg’s desk and “the two worlds, at Rockland and St. Joe, started to come together.” Negovetich knew Livvy was a student at St. Joseph.

Madelyn’s essay was one of two that won. So this year, students will sell special rubber-band bracelets touting Rockland School, along with special pencils and erasers, Negovetich said.

Later this month, students also will sell Valentine-Grams to students, teachers and parents to raise money for Liv for a Cure. A special Rock The House basketball competition pitting Rockland intramural teams against one another also will raise money for the foundation through T-shirt sales in March.

The two girls met to create an iMovie about the fundraising effort that will be shown to students.

“These are two amazing girls,” Negovetich said. “Madelyn is doing this, she is the force behind all this. I don’t feel like I’m doing anything. Livvy is such a determined girl. She doesn’t want to miss a day of school because she’s sick.

“I’m the teacher but I’m the one who’s learning, learning so much from Madelyn and Livvy.”