LOCAL CANCER AND BRAIN TUMOR SURVIVOR TO SUMMIT MT. KILIMANJARO Accomplishment by Deaf Endurance Athlete will also be the Main Focus of the Film, ‘The Perseverance Factor’, to be

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Redmond, Washington, United States of America (Free-Press-Release.com) September 9, 2010 --

REDMOND, Wash. – Sept. 10, 2010 – Redmond nonprofit Help Stop NF2 is hoping a grueling climb to the top of Africa’s highest peak will get some attention for Neurofibromatosis (NF), a little known – but devastating and common – genetic disorder that affects one in 3,000 births. Among the team making the trip to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro on October 10th is a local woman who is a cancer survivor and has one type of the disorder, NF2. NF2 has made her completely deaf, severely reduced her sense of balance, and forced her to have multiple brain surgeries, the latest taking place just last year.
“NF takes a lot away from you and some days are hard, but I am truly blessed,” said NF climber Rebecca Dufek, “If it wasn’t for NF2 I might not be training to climb this mountain. It is a weird thing I wonder about often … What would my life have been like without NF, who would I have not met, what would I have not done that may be important for others?”

“This climb, and the movie that will be created from it, has the potential to become the most important vehicle for NF awareness worldwide,” said co-founder of Help Stop NF2 and Rebecca’s husband Harley Dufek, “Rebecca is the strongest person I know and it’s amazing for her to be climbing Kilimanjaro less than a year after major brain surgery, much less with all the other side effects of NF2.”
NF2 is characterized by tumors on the brain and spine that continually grow and need to be removed when they begin causing physical problems, including facial paralysis, pain, deafness, imbalance, deformation, and more.
When Sir Edmund Hillary was asked why he climbed Everest he replied, “Because I can.” Rebecca Dufek knows exactly what a luxury that statement is and if she were asked why she wants to climb Kilimanjaro, she would modify his answer only slightly, but give it a whole new perspective: “Because I can, and others can’t.”

Currently, there is no cure for NF and by raising awareness the team hopes the film will also raise much needed funds for research and better treatment options.
“I was diagnosed rather late in life so I had over 20 years of living and hearing before NF became my life, but there are so many kids out there struggling with this, and I don’t want them to have to live their entire lives consumed by this disorder” said Rebecca, “I want to contribute to finding a way to stop it.”

The summit team also includes several Puget Sound area Gold’s Gym employees, who were so inspired by Rebecca they not only joined her climbing team but also nominated her for the national Gold’s Gym Most Inspirational Member award. Rebecca will be available for interviews until the team leaves for Africa on September 30th and until then she will be climbing several local peaks to get in some final elevation training. To arrange an interview, contact Rebecca via email or Harley via telephone.
For more information and to find out how to donate, visit www.helpstopnf2.org.

Neurofibromatosis (NF) is a genetic disorder of the nervous system which causes tumors to form on the nerves anywhere in the body at any time. This progressive disorder affects all races, all ethnic groups and both sexes equally. NF is one of the most common genetic disorders in the United States (one in every 2,500 to 3,000 births). Neurofibromatosis affects more than 100,000 Americans; this makes NF more prevalent than Cystic Fibrosis, hereditary Muscular Dystrophy, Huntington’s Disease and Tay Sachs combined. (Source: www.nfinc.org)

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