Our family was featured in our local newspaper, The Kalamazoo Gazette!

Mattawan family looks to defy odds in fighting rare muscle disease afflicting 2 young sisters.

I can and I will.

This is the mantra that has driven the Kennedy family to find normalcy in an unforeseeable future.

Eric, Sarah and their two daughters, Brooke, 4, and Brielle, 5, are the epitome of an American family.

…Read More Here…

MATTAWAN, MI — Eric Kennedy holds his daughter Brielle during a family outing. Both Brooke and Brielle have to wear leg braces to help them stand. Photo Credit, Josh Mauser

"Raising Awareness" ~Michigan Country Lines

Access the original article by clicking HERE.  See Page 8.  Photo by mL Photography

Michigan Country Lines                March 2011              Written by Courtney Gause

2010 Holiday Wishes from Chad Knaus

What an amazing Christmas gift… awareness about SMA from Chad Knaus!!

http://lowesracing.com/Shop-Talk/Chads-Pit-Box/Chads-Pit-Box-Holiday-Wishes.aspx

Holiday Wishes

Author:Chad Knaus
Date:12.13.10

When you’ve had a year like mine, it’s hard to come up with a holiday wish list. Winning a fifth consecutive championship is about the best present you could get. And winning it the way we did and having to compete down to the last lap made it even better.

So for this holiday season, my wish list will focus on what I’d like to give everyone else.

First, I’d like to wish all the people on the No. 48 Lowe’s team a happy holiday and fantastic New Year. We’ve had a great year together, and next season will be even more incredible.

I’d also like to wish happy holidays to all of the teams at Hendrick Motorsports. We’re one big family, and it will be exciting to watch our family grow and succeed together next season.

For all of the NASCAR and Jimmie Johnson fans out there, I hope next year brings another season of great racing like this year’s. And I hope to see more of you coming out to the racetrack to see the excitement in person.

And I want to wish all of the NASCAR teams, officials and other members of the racing family a great off-season to spend with their friends and families.

Finally, I’d like to wish a very Merry Christmas to two very special little girls: Brielle and Brooke Kennedy. These two amazing little girls deserve an extra special visit from Santa. They are both affected with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), which is the leading genetic killer of children. Their aunt works at Hendrick Motorsports, which is how I met them. I’d wish for a cure for SMA to help them, and wish that I can continue to help raise awareness and funds for their cause.


Happy holidays everyone! See you in Daytona!

"What Courage Looks Like" ~mL Photography

and let me tell you, it doesn’t get any cuter than this.

this is the story of brielle and brooke. the most courageous, wonderfully happy, gentle-spirited, kind, loving just plain *amazing* little people I have ever met. though their story by no means defines them, it is one that must be heard because it is so important and it has changed their lives forever. but you know what? it hasn’t changed *them.* they are way too incredible to let it.

both of these beautiful sisters have a rare and devastating disease known as SMA, Spinal Muscular Atrophy, type II.

beacause that is all the time I am going to give that wicked disease right now. this day was about THEM. about how they are an inspiration to anyone who has ever had to fight for their life or struggled with pain. because, if you didn’t *know* they had SMA, well, then you wouldn’t *know* it. they are just that amazing. their smiles melted my heart and I swelled with love from the moment their big, wild, curly hair (jealous…) and kind eyes graced me with their presence. and from the moment we first met until stickers and the best hugs EVER were exchanged, their smiles never took a backseat.

brielle and brooke? you overWHELM me with your courage and strength.


and believe me, you are about to fall in love, too….

beautiful, bubbly, big laughter, big hearted big sister brielle.



sweet, soft-spoken, silly, spontaneous, super fun, smaller sister, brooke.



every image makes my heart swell. three sizes too big. but the good too big.




**love**









we had a pretty good time I think….and with these two, living life to the fullest and enjoying every moment of it, how could I not do the same??






















**love**
just a little supermodel break, you know….





sisters. they are in this thing called life together.




with some serious love and support from their ahMAZing mama. (super gorgeous and kind mama, I might add…)




super serious loving….



I think the feeling is pretty mutual…










courage defined.





strength you never thought was possible from such itty little ones.





but this is what it looks like.
and I think, it is going to be near impossible for anything to get these two down.



actually, I *know* it. and I am so honored to know such amazing, beautiful girls. whom we can never stop fighting for. because I know? they never will either.

Posted by missy widener Thursday, September 16, 2010 at 8:41 PM     

http://michelleleighphotography.blogspot.com/2010/09/what-courage-looks-like.html

August 22 ~ Declared Spinal Muscular Awareness Day In Michigan.

Brielle and Brooke received a very special certificate in the mail from our Michigan Senator, Carl Levin, in honor of SMA Awareness Day!

            

   Brooke and Brielle with the special flag from our Senator.
  

The certificate reads:

“This is to certify that the accompanying flag was flown over the United States Capitol on August 22, 2010.

At the request of the Honorable Carl Levin, United States Senator, this flag was flown for Brielle and Brooke Kennedy on the occasion of Spinal Muscular Atrophy Awareness Day.” 

Check out our feature in the FSMA Chapter Updates here!