The Illinois College Lady Blues will be taking the basketball court on a “Grace Filled Journey” on Saturday. This Saturday’s game will be an Infantile Neuroaxonal Dystrophy or INAD Awareness charity game in honor of eight-year-old Grace Herschelman of Hillsboro, who is battling the rare genetic disorder. In lieu of admission fees on Saturday, a donation box will be placed at the front of the Bruner Center for anyone who wants to donate to help the Herschelman family and those affected by the disease.
The rare genetic disorder affects about 100 children worldwide. The symptoms of the disorder include loss of motor skills, muscle tone, the ability to sit or stand without assistance and the loss of the ability to speak. Most children diagnosed with the disease don’t live beyond the age of 10. Grace, her family and several other families whose children have INAD have helped fund a research study at Washington University looking for treatments for this terrible disease, as well as other research initiatives looking for a cure through the INAD Cure Foundation.
Fans in attendance are encouraged to use the hashtag #BeatINAD when posting pictures from the game to social media on Saturday.
For more information on Grace’s journey, go to agracefilledjourney.com or follow “A Grace Filled Journey” on Facebook. To make a donation online, go to inadcure.org.