Governor and Mayor Issue Proclamations for Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood Foundation

Raleigh, NC, February 26, 2012 --(PR.com)-- Jeff Wuchich, president of the Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood Foundation (http://www.ahckids.org), a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness of and funds for Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood (AHC), a rare but debilitating neurological disorder causing temporary bouts of paralysis, has announced that both Gov. Beverly Perdue and Raleigh Mayor Nancy McFarlane have declared Wednesday, Feb. 29 as Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood Awareness Day in the state of North Carolina and the City of Raleigh, respectively. The proclamations note that the AHC Foundation is active in efforts to detect the thousands of undiagnosed cases of AHC, develop treatments and a cure for AHC through research funding, as well as support families of children with the disease and encourage the worldwide exchange of information to advance the international database of AHC patients.

Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood Awareness Day coincides with Rare Disease Day® 2012, an international effort to raise awareness among the general public and decision-makers about rare diseases and their impact on patients’ lives. Wednesday, Feb. 29 also marks the official launch of the AHC Foundation’s “1 in a Million” campaign, which aims to raise $1 million for AHC research this year. Donations will be used to fund research on the genetic cause(s) of AHC, as well as promote a cure and educate the public about the disease.

For more information on the AHC Foundation and its “1 in a Million” campaign, visit http://www.ahckids.org or http://www.ahc2012.org.

Quotes:
“The Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood Foundation is honored to be recognized by two esteemed political and community leaders,” said Wuchich. “With the support of both Governor Bev Perdue and Mayor McFarlane, we hope to educate the citizens of North Carolina on the pressing need to cure AHC.”

New Media Content:
Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood Foundation’s YouTube channel:
http://www.youtube.com/user/AHCPresident?feature=mhum

Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood Foundation’s Twitter feed:
http://twitter.com/#!/ahckids

Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood Foundation’s Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/AHCKids?v=page_getting_started

About The Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood Foundation (AHCF)
The Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood Foundation is a nonprofit tax exempt 501(c)(3) organization that is a combination of the International Foundation for Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood (IFAHC), founded in 1993, and the Alternating Hemiplegia Foundation (AHF), founded in 1995. Managed by parents of children with AHC, the AHCF is run almost entirely by volunteers, which allows the patient advocacy group to keep administrative costs to a minimum. The AHCF has a medical advisory board consisting of physicians and other professionals who have experience with alternating hemiplegia of childhood, which is a rare neurological disorder. The organization’s mission is to find the cause(s) of AHC, develop effective treatments, and ultimately find a cure, while providing support to the families and children with AHC by funding research to accomplish these goals. Secondarily, the AHCF strives to promote proper diagnosis, educate health care professionals, the public and related organizations, encourage the worldwide exchange of information and advance the development of an international database of all AHC patients. During 2012, the AHCF is looking for 1 million people to donate $1 each in its 1 in a Million Campaign. For more information, visit http://ahckids.org/.

Emily Packard
MMI Public Relations
(919) 233-6600
emily@mmipublicrelations.com
http://twitter.com/MMIPR
http://www.mmipublicrelations.com

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