Every week, the Sports Information Department at Purchase will select a new student-athlete, coach/staff or event to highlight in our "In the Panther Spotlight" feature … today's feature: Women's soccer competes for the Eva Fini Fund.
Purchase, NY (Oct. 20, 2013) – Imagine the symptoms of autism, cerebral palsy, Parkinson's, epilepsy, and anxiety disorders.
Now imagine all of those symptoms in one little girl.
At 3-years-old, Eva Fini was diagnosed with Rett syndrome, a neurological disorder that is manifested as repetitive hand-to-mouth movements, coupled with loss of speech and motor control, severe digestive problems, seizures, anxiety, scoliosis, and irregular breathing and sleeping patterns.
This disorder strikes at random in early childhood, affecting little girls almost exclusively.
On Tuesday, Oct. 22, the Purchase College women's soccer team will host Mount Saint Mary College in a "Purple Game" to raise Rett Syndrome awareness and honor the Fini family in their battle with the debilitating disorder.
For Eva, the symptoms of Rett Syndrome did not strike until she was 18-months-old. Aimee and Albert Fini used the word "normal" to describe the first year and a half of their daughter's life. Eva was able to feed herself, walk up and down the stairs, drink from her own sippycup, hold onto toys, and babble the words "apple juice" and "bus stop".
Then, little by little, these milestones seemed to vanish into thin air. Eva no longer held her sippycup, she stopped walking up and down the stairs, couldn't feed herself, and was unable to pick up a toy to play with it.
The first clue that something wasn't right was when Eva lost verbal communication. Since then, Aimee and Albert have not heard their little girl say "apple juice" or "bus stop." Eva's vocabulary disappeared along with many other milestones.
Eva, in a sense is in a life of virtual silence as she cannot communicate with words. Rett Syndrome has destroyed her ability to interact in a meaningful way and her ability to understand the world around her. She is locked inside her body. Aimee and Albert are, however, grateful that she still has motor function and is able to walk, climb and run – a freedom that eludes many girls with Rett Syndrome.
On the Eva Fini Fund website, Aimee and Albert wrote "Eva cannot use words, but she speaks volumes with her engaging eyes and bright smile. Eva loves her sisters and gets excited when they come in the door from school. She loves to dance and listen to music. She could eat all day if we let her. She's got a way about her when she walks into a room as she can put a smile on everyone's face. She's got a way to touch the lives of everyone that comes in contact with her. Eva is an amazing little girl with so much energy and personality."
In an effort to support the Fini family with everyday costs and challenges, the women's soccer team designed t-shirts to sell Tuesday evening, as well as a 50/50 raffle. All proceeds will go to the Eva Fini Fund.
The team will also wear purple jerseys in the game against the Knights of MSMC.. The Panthers are asking fans to come out and join their efforts in finding a cure for Rett Syndrome.
To learn more about Eva's story and others like her, click here.
