One of the unique aspects about the South Huntington Beach softball community has been our ability to reach out and help those among us in times of need.
Melanie’s Miracle
Former SHB Player, 11-year-old Melanie O’Hara, is in the midst of struggle to heal from Lyme disease. She has been very ill for quite some time now – it took almost a year to diagnose her, as Lyme disease is rare in Southern California. Her family finally figured out what was wrong, found a doctor and have begun treatment. This has taken almost a year, the longer you have Lyme disease the worse it gets. Insurance is not covering her treatment and her parents have set up a website for her cause at http://melaniesmiracle.webs.com/
Helping Julie Matsumoto To See
We recently heard about an SHB family facing a difficult situation. Julie Matsumoto, whose daughter Kayley has participated in SHB softball for several years, has faced major health issues over the past year which have culminated into an auto-immune disorder that has left her blind. She has been taking medication to reverse the damage, but her only real hope to regain her eyesight involves very costly stem cell treatments and surgery. If you would like to help, you can donate to Julia’s cause at www.savejuliasvision.org.
Helping Natalie Walk
We’d also like to again ask for your support for Natalie Buchoz on her road to recovery. Nat was a longtime former SHB player and her mom, Nancy, a former SHB league president. Nat was involved in a ski accident three years ago that left her paralyzed from the waist down. Her attitude (or “Nattitude” as we like to call it) and determination to walk again have helped her through her difficult rehabilitation. After three long years, Natalie has regained what doctors promised would not happen – her ability to walk! But Nat’s path to recovery is not yet finished and she continues to need our support. You can learn more about Nat’s story and ways to help by visiting www.nataliebuchoz.org.
Let’s reach out as only the SHB family can and help these two wonderful families.
