Walk-Run-N-Roll for Transverse Myelitis Sept. 20 in Downers Grove

The annual Illinois Walk-Run-N-Roll for the Transverse Myelitis Association will be at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 20, at McCollum Park, 6801 S. Main St. in Downers Grove. Registration is free and begins at 10 a.m.

Participants will walk, run or roll by wheelchair "just for fun" on a 1.2-mile paved path around the perimeter of the park. A celebration will follow in the park's picnic pavilion. Special guests will include Amanda McGrory, Paralympian and professional wheelchair athlete, and Sanford J. "Sandy" Siegel, president of TMA, and his wife Pauline Siegel who inspired the founding of TMA.

The event also will include a wheelchair basketball demonstration. The 2015 event chair is Liz Beutel of Naperville. Last year, nearly 300 people, including patients and their families and friends, attended the event.

The purpose of the Walk-Run-N-Roll is to raise funds and awareness for the rare neuro-immune disorders addressed by TMA, including transverse myelitis (TM), acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM), neuromyelitis optica (NMO) or Devic's Disease, and optic neuritis (ON).

The disorders affect adults and children of any age and are often difficult to diagnose. They occur when a person experiences an acute inflammatory attack that injures the spinal cord, brain or optic nerve. The attacks may be single episodes or recurrent and can cause temporary or permanent disability, paralysis and blindness, depending on the extent of the injury. There is currently no cure but early treatment during the inflammatory stage and physical rehabilitation often improve outcomes.

Participants can register as individuals or teams or donate at www.crowdrise.com/2015-Illinois-Walk-Run-N-Roll. For more information, contact Nancy Dove at (312) 316-5262 or nancydove@cs.com.