Little Whitney
Visits Zion

     Little Whitney Fritz, niece of Darlene Tasso, visited Zion Lutheran Church on her way to have surgery in San Antonio. This will be Whitney’s 17th surgery.

     Whitney wanted to thank the caring people at Zion for their past fund raisers to help in her surgeries. Whitney and her friend Kayley made beautiful cookies for the congregation to enjoy after the Sunday Morning Worship Service on March 13, 2005.

     Whitney suffers from Arthrogyrposis, Scoliosis/Kyphosis and Restrictive Lung Disease. With the help of Zion's fundraiser in 1999, she underwent a newly developed Titanian Rib Implant surgery at age 3. Now 8 years old, Whitney’s 16th surgery was this past August 2004. Zion sponsored its 2nd Fundraising Event for Little Whitney in October of 2004.

     Surgical “expansions” are required every 6 months until Whitney is fully grown, costing $30,000 to $50,000 each time. Travel costs from Illinois to San Antonio for the surgeries each 6 months incur additional expenses. Despite many appeals, the family's insurance provider considers the procedure "experimental and investigational" and will not cover the costs. There is no indication that insurance coverage status will change even if the procedure is approved by the FDA and ceases to be “experimental.”

     If you would like to help Whitney, it would greatly be appreciated by her family. Please make checks payable to:

• Whitney K. Fritz Benefit Fund,
• Amcore Bank 501 Seventh Street,
• PO Box 1537,
• Rockford, IL 61110-0037
  
  or
  
  
• Whitney K. Fritz Benefit Fund,
• c/o Starr Fritz,
• 4224 Lakeside Dr.,
• Rockford, IL 61101.

     For more information and to keep up with Whitney's progress, click here to visit Whitney’s website.