Alana's Achievers partenered with Ashoka's Youth Venture and the Hasbro Playathon to raise money for my friend, Kourtney Najjar, awaiting her multi-organ transplant to save her life! The event was a great success and Kourtney had a blast! I am so happy that she was feeling good enough to come and enjoy herself! I will be posting some interviews soon from the event. I had a friend from my old acting class come do some interviews for us so thank you Kymia!!!

No one will ever know how much Kourtney has already endured and suffered through in her young life, however, she is so brave and strong with incredible support from her parents and siblings that you would never know that Kourtney has a terminal condition! They live life to the fullest and the do not look back!

Kourtney's rare transplant is only done in 5 hospitals around the U.S. and her care is at the UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA. She is ready for this transplant so she can get on with life! What an inspiring little girl so be thankful of your health and that you have this day!!!

God Bless and thank you to all my family and friends here in San Diego and from Youth Venture, Get Ur Good On, Athletes for Education, Everybody Wins, etc, as everyone has shown amazing support for Kourtney!!!

Give the gift of life,donate your organs, live life to the fullest!!!

Your friend,
Alana
www.alanaethridge.net

Kourtney, 7yrs Old, Fighting for Her Life! Please Help ...

Kourtney Najjar, is fighting for her life.

This 7-year-old has been sick since she was born. When she was only 14-months-old, she was diagnosed with neurogenic pseudo obstruction, also known as intestinal failure. As a result of her illness, she has spent more time in the hospital than at home. Doctors say an intestinal/pancreas transplant is her only hope for a second chance at life. Kourtney is on the transplant waiting list at UCLA Medical Center.

Despite her struggles, Kourtney has high hopes for the future. She would like to be healthy enough to visit Disneyland and swim in the ocean. Kourtney looks forward to the lifesaving transplant that will allow her to enjoy time with her family and her service dog, Mikey. But she needs your help.

Unfortunately, Kourtney’s hope for a new life comes at a very high price.

The cost of an intestinal/pancreas transplant can exceed $1,000,000. And that’s only the beginning. Even with health coverage, Kourtney’s family faces significant medical expenses related to her transplant. For the rest of her life, she will need follow-up care and daily anti-rejection medications. The cost of post-transplant medications can range from $2,000 to $5,000 per month—and they are as critical to her survival as the transplant itself.

Also, Kourtney has to live near the UCLA Medical Center for one year after the transplant so the Najjars will be maintaining the expense of two households.

What if your life depended on the compassion and generosity of others?

I, along with other volunteers and supporters, are working with The National Foundation for Transplants (NFT) to help relieve the growing burden of expenses for Kourtney and her family. NFT has been assisting transplant patients with advocacy and fund-raising support for 26 years. Your gift—of $25, $50, $100 or more—will enable NFT to provide Kourtney with the financial support she desperately needs.

You can help by visiting www.transplants.org/donate/kourtneynajjar to make a secure online donation.

Kourtney had her wish from the wonderful "Make-A-Wish" foundation a few years ago and her wish was to fly with Peter Pan! Well, she and her family were sent on a trip to Disneyland where she got to meet Peter Pan and Wendy! She loves them so much as they bring much joy to her!

Mark, Laura, Ty, Kacee, Kamryn and Kourtney, thank you from the bottom of their hearts for all the love and support from their family and friends as Kourtney has been moving towards this transplant since she was born and now ... it's going to happen!!! Mark and Laura are very aware of what this life-saving transplant will mean for Kourtney as well as their undying gratitude for the parents who will have to make that crucial decision, at a very emotional, distraught time, to donate their child's organs so that Kourtney can be blessed with the chance to live a full life!!!

If you have any questions about NFT, feel free to contact the NFT staff 800-489-3863.

Alana's Achievers by Toya Bryant

A very dear and talented friend, Toya Bryant, wrote this beautiful poem about Alana's Achievers and my goal to help those less fortunate and inspire people everywhere to give of themselves and serve in their communties! Thank you so much Toya for this incredible gift that I can share with the world!!! Love, Alana


ALANA'S ACHIEVERS
By Toya Bryant


Alana’s Achievers full of childhood dreams
Their view of the world is not all they see

They live to serve others and inspire their hope
As good friends and neighbors they help others to cope


Alana’s Achievers may be small in size
But have big hearts, goals, and stars in their eyes

They know they can help, young and old alike
By helping them strive for a wonderful life


With the imagination of a child
They see into the distance

To where life can take them
Even with the odds against them


Recognizing their place in the world
They give without seeking gain

They don’t do it for money
Or just to seek fame


All is done out of the love
That swells in their hearts

In giving back to people who need it
They play a large part


Alana’s Achievers
Let their goals be heard

Through acts of kindness
And heartfelt words



Whether organizing food drives
Or helping others to read

Or promoting physical fitness
Or teaching young ones to lead


Alana’s Achievers
Raise a unified voice

That caring about others
Is a must, not a choice

July/Aug/Sept Newsletter

ALANA'S ACHIEVERS

an Athletes For Education Program

www.alanaethridge.net
www.afefoundation.org/alana-ethridge.html


Jul/Aug/Sept '09 News from ALANA'S ACHIEVERS
Dear Patty,

Wow ... Alana has been very busy since school was out last year! She went to Magic Mountain, Boston for the Youth Venture Summit, AYSO soccer camp, helped with Vacation Bible School at Santa Sophia, attended a family reunion in Vegas, played volleyball, and lots of auditions since July and then soccer practice started in August. Alana is in 7th grade and very excited to be out of elementary school. She thinks she's a "teen", however, she has to be reminded that she's only 12 and has to wait another 7 mos. for that title! (lol) Soccer season has begun so she's playing goalie half a game and for those who know Alana well ... it's a big deal!

Her duties as a US Ambassador have begun as well so they blog, have Skype meetings, conference calls and chat online. They are hosting a YV Playathon Day across the US on Nov 7th to help raise money for their ventures and Hasbro donated these Playathon kits which is great fundraising tool!

Alana got to invite two of her friends, Tasha & Kacee, to attend the Miley Cyrus concert in Anaheim two weeks ago. Alana, along with another Youth Service America member were being honored by Miley with a "meet & greet" and concert tickets. Alana had an audition for a Disney pilot in Hollywood and I tried to make it but traffic was a nightmare and we were about 5 min. late so they had already taken the other group back to meet Miley! The girls were very bummed and I felt so bad! They had amazing seats though about 15ft from the stage and had an awesome time at the concert!

A big "Thank You" to David Oates of Stalwart Communications as he helped Alana in getting 4 local media interviews back in August to help bring awareness to her scholarship program! If you missed them, they are posted on AEO and there are still some scholarships available!

David's contact info:
858.750.5560
david@stalwartcom.com


Living Advantage, Inc. - Fundraiser
Sept 12, 2009

Alana was the celebrity Guest Host for the Living Advantage fundraiser on Sept 12th at Skateland in Northridge. They were able to raise sponsorship for over 70 foster kids so it was a great success and Alana was very honored to host the event! This is the second event Alana has had the opportunity to help out for Living Advantage this year as it's a wonderful program with amazing people that helps support foster kids. Please check out their website to learn more about the positive ways they are making a difference in the lives of hundreds of foster kids!

The mission of Living Advantage, Inc. is to provide a virtual online network for at risk and foster youth. http://www.livingadvantageinc.org/

Santee Summer Day Camp - Guest Speaker
Sept. 3, 2009

Alana was invited to speak at the Santee Summer Day camp the week before school started. She shared with them her experience of being on "Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader" and about being in sho business. Her main focus was talking to them about the importance of getting a good education, becoming a good reader which would help them become a successful adult, making healthy lifestyle choices, why we should all give back to our communities, how they could become young-changemakers and that they should reach for the stars and go for their dreams! She explained to them that it takes a lot of hard work to achieve their goals but to never give up!!! They had a lot of questions for her and she signed autographs. It was 95 degrees so I was shocked at the campers who were sitting in the sun and didn't move during her speech! Alana had a lot of fun and she has been asked to speak to the teenagers about youth social entrepreneurship who help run the Teen Center and other programs for the city!
Afro Puffs and Ponytails Award
"High Achiever"


Alana was honored by Afro Puffs and Ponytails as one of their "High Achievers" last week! Thank you Kim Thomas for supporting African American girls by inspiring and recognizing their success!!!

Mission
We seek to empower African American young girls and teen girls by teaching the importance of taking care of their minds, bodies, and souls.

http://afropuffsandponytails.com/african-american-girls-high-achievers/alana-ethridge-san-diego-ca/


ORGAN DONATION
Despite continuing advances in medicine and technology, the need for organs and tissue is vastly greater than the number available for transplantation. You can make a difference by inspiring others and spreading the word about organ donation. We have a dear friend, Kourtney, Kacee's younger sister, who is 7yrs old, has a life threatening illness and awaiting a multi-organ transplant so we are trying to help bring awareness for organ donation!

GIVE THE GIFT OF LIFE!


There are many problems facing all of our communities so it's up to each of us to address those problems and volunteer to help make a difference. All it takes is some of your time and you can do it at any age! Find a cause, or several causes to support so that we can all make our communities, our country and our world a better place!



These are some of the organizations that Alana supports or that she has been recognized for her work as a young-changemaker:
http://www.afefoundation.org
http://www.serv.gov
http://www.genv.net
http://www.ysa.org
http://ww.kidsareheroes.com
http://www.livingadvantageinc.org
http://www.afropuffsandponytails.com
http://www.geturgoodon.org/video/my-own-good-for-get-ur-good-on

Contact Information
phone: 6198928940
alanas_achievers@yahoo.com
www.alanaethridge.net
www.afefoundation.org
Please join me on Twitter, Facebook & LinkedIn Join our mailing list!

Making a Difference

I recently had 3 interviews with my local media here in San Diego for channel NBC 39 news, San Diego News Network and The Rick Amato Show for KCBQ talk radio to help bring awareness for my scholarship program that Youth Venture awarded me the grant seed money. You can check out my website @ http://www.alanaethridge.net/news.html for all of these interviews plus I had an interview with our newspaper, San Diego Union-Tribune, yesterday but I do not know when it will be published. I met with a new public relations agent, David Oates of Stalwart Comm., so he helped me out by getting me these interviews! Public relations is such a valuable tool for getting the word out about Ashoka’s Youth Venture and all of our programs to help get more youth involved with social entrepreneurships, obtain sponsors and donations. I am so excited to work with all the Ambassadors for our different focus groups and continue to make a difference in our communities, our country and the world!!!

नेशनल यूथ वेंतुरे सुम्मित २००९ - उस Ambassador

The Nat’l Youth Venture Summit was so amazing! It was such an honor to be around so many wonderful people that are also trying to make a difference! The सुम्मित provided some great workshops at MIT and Harvard for our Ambassador training. I’ve learned a lot about “Web 2.0”, Human-trafficking, “how and what” to do as a US Ambassador so I am very excited to be connecting with other Youth Venturers on a regular basis. I also learned how to promote my program better by both the web and relationship building through networking. I think we can help each other as we all have many of the same goals and need to raise more money for our programs so we can help more people. Also, we can help each other out when we have entered competitions where the winner is determined by how many votes a person gets so we can help spread the word to all of our friends and families to vote. It’s been great to hear from many of the Ambassadors this past week! We are going to change our communities, our countries and the world.