Medford, Ore. – A local MMA fighter is raising awareness for a rare genetic disorder.
Irene White says she’s fighting to keep 8-year-old Carter Anderson alive.
“I’m fighting for a boy named Carter, his birthday is actually this Monday, he will be nine,” said White.
Carter suffers from Pantothenate Kinase-Associated Neurodegeneration, PKAN for short.
It causes parts of the brain to degenerate, leading to severe problems with walking, coordination, vision, speech and swallowing.
“Most children in Carter’s condition don’t make it past ten,” Blair Anderson, Carter’s father said.
But Carter’s family says they aren’t letting this disease knock them down.
“There are people that go through their lives and wonder what they’re purpose is,” said Anderson. “It’s been a tough purpose for us but we know what our place is right now. It’s to spread the word, raise the money and save him and all the other fellow PKAN warriors out there.
That’s why White wants to help, by dedicating her fight to him.
“I hope I can bring more awareness to what he has to go through on the daily,” she said.
All the proceeds White is making from her ‘Carter One In A Million’ shirts will be donated toward helping Carter.
The family says they’re paying it forward and donating all the money towards finding a cure.
“It’s not just for us, it’s for the good of the order. It’s for Riley in Colorado and Miller in Australia,” said Courtney Anderson, Carter’s mother said.
Carter is the only child in Oregon with PKAN.
To find more information about the research being done on PKAN, click here.
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