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Mission Statement
The Gilligan Family Alliance (GFA) exists solely to further
assist a family that has overcome considerable adversity to live an almost
normal life, in spite of the unique challenges they face on a daily basis.
The GFA is a group of Marbleheaders, which has grown to
include people from all over, who have decided they would champion a cause to
help one of their own. Not because this
family went looking for help, but because we as Marbleheaders are doing what we
have always done; taken care of our own.
The Gilligan family is from Marblehead. They grew up here. They want to raise their children here. They want for their children what we all have
experienced here, a home in every sense of the word.
They have four children who have faced incredible life altering
challenges. Jackson, their only son, was diagnosed with Autism
after a year and a half of developmental delays that confirmed his
parents’ worst fears. Within a month of that diagnosis, their
middle daughter Karlyn (Kiki) tested positive for Cystic Fibrosis as
conducted by the Massachusetts Newborn Testing for Genetic
Disorders. When they were expecting their youngest child,
Allison, they had a battery of tests done to determine Allison's
health. They were assured that Alli would not be born with
CF. It was then that they promised their oldest daughter
Alexandra that her youngest sister would be healthy! But within
Alli's first year, her health deteriorated gradually until they almost
lost her. Before her first birthday, Alli was in full blown Renal
Failure, and in need of a kidney transplant. Alexandra's hopes
for a healthy sibling were dashed yet again when told that Alli
suffered a malady for which there was no cure. Her father would
have to donate his kidney to Allison.
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Age 10
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Age 7
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Age 6
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Age 16
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Jackson (Jax) is Amy and Patrick's only son. He was
their first born, and it was clear before his first birthday
that Jax had developmental delays that were significant.
But before Jax was even diagnosed as having Autism, he
would undergo a rocky first year of life with other ailments
that would stunt his growth and development.
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Karlyn Gilligan, or Kiki as the
world knows her, is an extremely spirited seven year
old, who is the living embodiment of never stop, never
quiet, never stop, never slow down, and never, ever
stop! Kiki got her name from her brother Jax who could
not pronounce her first name, and once anyone put Kiki
with that personality, it stuck.
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Allison is known in her home as Alli. For all the tom-boy
that Kiki is, Alli is the princess. Alli loves her dollies,
she loves her Mutsy (A stuffed dog that has been through
every surgery, every hospital stay, and every moment
that Alli needed comforting), and this beautiful six
year old loves to chat.
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Alexandra (Alex) is a beautiful, artistic sixteen year
old who has always cared about someone else's needs
before her own. Alex is extremely talented and expresses
her teen emotions with photography and painting.
As the oldest child she has had the greatest understanding
of all the Gilligan kids as to the depth and seriousness
of her sibling's health.
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What we at the GFA have come to realize is that, through all of this,
the Gilligan Family keeps moving forward. They don't ask "why
me?” They do not blame anyone. Instead, they just keep on a
course of making life for their family as "normal" as possible.
In early 2007 the Gilligans were notified by ABC that they were in the
running for an Extreme Makeover Home Edition. They had been
nominated by neighbors, family members, medical staff, and
friends. By spring '07 they had been told that they were
finalists for the Massachusetts segment. By early summer, they
were given a date for the possible life changing event.
Unfortunately for all of us, they were not chosen. Instead, if
you ask Amy & Patrick about it, they would say: "... A very
deserving family from Maynard was chosen to represent
Massachusetts. No father should ever be forced to live apart from
his family." It was consistent with how they have always received
bad news.
For their closest family & friends the
heartbreak was once again too much to watch. For whatever reason,
the Gilligans were not chosen. We just knew we had to make a
difference in those children's lives. The real miracle of what
EMHE could have done for this family is provide more space for the kids
that would have improved the quality of their lives for decades to
come, and it would only have taken a week!
We, the GFA, are determined to not let another
opportunity slip by. We want to convince ABC that the compelling
nature of this family's story is still there; and that it is just as
powerful as when they first became interested. We also want the
network, or anyone else for that matter, to see the town for all of her
beauty. Not just the wonderful aesthetic quality; but the heart
of her people. The real Marblehead is the town that stands up to
take care of one of its own. We want to let our town leadership
know that we want this for the Gilligans. We want them to look
into every opportunity, check with volunteers, ask for citizens’ help,
to make sure that this story, finally, has a happy ending. The
GFA is further committed not to let this opportunity for raising
awareness for these worthy causes pass by unnoticed. This is
another chance to combat genetic disorders for which there are no
cures. We are dedicated to making a positive difference for the
Gilligan Family, and hopefully others, by helping them give their
children the only thing that is really important: the best possible
health always.
We are people dedicated to
making a difference
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