By City Times staff

MARSHFIELD – A benefit will be held for a local family fighting the effects of a rare disease.

While pregnant with her second child, Alison (Bendickson) Snortheim was experiencing some issues with her legs. She went into the emergency room (ER) and came out with a diagnosis regarding a rare disease.

“On Jan.28, I went to the ER for severe leg pain and numbness, and then they did a bunch of blood labs,” Alison. “They got my labs back and they found that I had no kidney function, so I had to start emergency dialysis in the critical care unit.”

Doctors discovered that Alison had a rare condition called Anti-Glomerular Basement Membrane Antibody Disease, with no confirmed cause.

“Basically, it is an antibody that attacked the working part of my kidneys and cause them to completely fail,” Snortheim added. “Since then, I have been on dialysis. So, when I was pregnant with Owen, I was on dialysis six days a week, Monday through Saturday, for four-hour runs. Now, I am on three days a week.”

Doctors worked to protect Alison’s unborn child, while providing the care she needed, but on Apr. 2, she was admitted to the hospital with major complications and the baby was born at 28 weeks via C-section.

Owen came into the world at just 2 lbs., 7 oz., and required a ventilator for the first 12 hours

“Owen is only the second baby born live to the disease,” Alison explained.

Alison has been told that the chances of her kidneys making a full recovery are unlikely and that a transplant may be needed.

Alison and her husband, Jared, live in Auburndale, along with their one-year-old daughter, Eleanor. While the family has medical insurance, it only covers a portion of the finances needed for Owen’s birth and hospital stay, as well as Alison’s treatment. With a transplant on the horizon, more will be needed.

However, Alison and her family are getting assistance from a group of people dedicated to help them deal with the circumstances.

“After Ali had stopped by Laura (at S&S Insurance) to talk about life insurance for Owen, National Mutual Benefit (NMB), being a fraternal membership owned life insurance company, there is a lot more to our company than just the insurance products that we provide,” said NMB District Manager Kent Stadler. “We have guaranteed insurability, so Owen was covered under a life insurance plan with (NMB) from the second he was born and that policy actually was able to be increased so to speak.”

The company also has a disease benefit that will assist the family, but expenses still remain. So, Laura (Debevec Schultze), Kent, and members of Ali’s family have come together to organize a benefit to assist with their needs.

The benefit will take place Aug. 24 at Bakerville Sports Bar, 10631 County Rd. B, Marshfield, 3-11 p.m. The event will feature live music, a DJ, raffles, a silent auction, a meat raffle, along with a pre-sale raffle with Badger tickets, a guided fishing trip, and a 50-inch TV. Pre-sale raffle tickets are available from S & S insurance, Bakerville Sports Bar, Ali’s family, or any NMB member. NMB will also match up to $2,500.

For more on Alison’s story, follow www.facebook.com/Alis-Fight-against-Anti-GBM.