Fight For Evan - Surf San Onofre!
May 26, 2007 | Women's Water Polo
May 26, 2007
USC redshirt freshman water polo player Mary Cousineau has had her share of physical obstacles on her path to seeing action in the pool as a member of USC's women's water polo team, but her past injuries pale in comparison to what she is watching her 9-year-old brother Evan face. Diagnosed recently with a rare and devastating disease - Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) - Evan's future is far from certain. But rather than be crushed by the news, Mary and her family are doing all they can to raise awareness of Evan's disease while at the same time allowing the active and energetic child to continue to participate in the sports and activities he loves.
Next week, the Cousineaus are receiving some extra support from Quiksilver, which is helping sponor "Fight for Evan, Stop ALD" where the San Onofre is open to media, avid surfers and any and all supporters of Evan. Raising awareness of the disease and the valuable potential for bone marrow and cord blood donation in helping to fight the disease.
Anyone interested in attending the event are welcome! Head out to San Onofre on the morning of Tuesday (May 29), and join the Cousineau clan and their wide community of support.
ALD is a devastating disease in which parts of the brain deteriorate beyond repair, affecting cognitive and motor skills, behavior and beyond. It most often presents itself in boys age 4-10, and affects 1 in every 17,900 boys worldwide.
The disease is currently affecting Evan's vision, making it difficult at times for the active child to participate in the sports - water polo, hockey, and more - that he loves. Occasionally, he opts to help "coach" his teammates, and the family is hoping to get him a guide dog to both help detect any oncoming seizures and keep him safe as his peripheral vision is impacted.
Throughout it all, however, Evan and his family have continued to be avid Ducks fans, taken many trips to Disneyland, many bounces on the trampoline, and are doing whatever it takes to enjoy life with Evan. The whole family made an appearance at the NCAA Women's Water Polo Championships in April to watch the USC women play, and Mary's teammates are regular visitors along with Evan's classmates and friends at the Cousineau house to join in games and fun with Evan, his twin sister Alaina, older brother Derek and parents Gina and Mark. Mark is also active in the USC water polo community, standing out as the game announcer for all home men's and women's games at McDonald's Swim Stadium.
Hope to see you at the beach!
For more information on ALD, visit http://www.aldfoundation.org/
Also visit Evan's WEB PAGE
