Girl riding to combat rare disease
By Jeff Gallatin
North Olmsted
Published Sept. 28, 2005

For 11-year-old Ashley Gribble, taking part in a charity fundraiser to help combat the rare disease which her grandmother and a young friend suffer from is just another ride in the park.

Gribble, a sixth-grader at Pine School, will be riding 10 miles on the towpath trail Saturday in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park to raise funds for research into Fibromuscular Dysplasia, a disease which causes a decrease in blood flow through arteries. Because the disease can be hereditary, Ashley is aware both she and her mother could develop it. She said that knowledge is only one of the reasons she will be riding in the fundraiser, along with her mother and a nine-year friend who also has the disease.

"I have a really good relationship with my grandmother and my friend who has the disease so I want to do something which will help them and other people who have it," Ashley said. "I know I could get it or my mom could so we're getting tested for it. We just need to do things which can help them deal with this disease."

Both Ashley's mom, Chrissy Gribble and her grandmother, Pam Mace, said Ashley's desire to take action is typical of the young lady.

"It's totally in character for her," Chrissy Gribble said. "She's always been a very responsible and caring person when it comes to other people. She made friends with the nine-year-old girl when she met her while trying to help her grandmother deal with the disease."

Because the nine-year-old girl's family has asked that she not be named publicly, Chrissy said Ashley has honored the girl's privacy by not identifying her while still maintaining thier friendship.

"She's done a good job of respecting her friend and her family's feelings while still trying to help out where she can with her," Chrissy said.

Mace, a nurse, said her granddaughter has shown wisdom and compassion beyond her years.

"She's been very supportive and caring with me and she also has tried to learn what she can about the disease because it's so rare," Mace said. ""It's such a rare or orphan disease it's not even listed yet on the national organization of rare diseases web site. I would be happy that she just tries to help me, but she goes way beyond that by doing things like this fundraiser or talking to her family and friends about it so they can learn more about the disease.”

Ashley said she has gotten a lot of support from other family members and her friends when she talks to them about her efforts to combat the disease. All of them have agreed to donate money for each mile she rides.

"Most people want to help when they find out someone has a problem," Ashley said. "My friends at school and all the family members are helping out."

In addition to having her mother, her friend and the girl's family all riding in the event, Ashley, will also have something else involved in the ride that she trusts - her mountain bike.

"I've had it about five years and ridden it in a lot of places," Ashley said. "I'm pretty comfortable riding it for several miles."

Chrissy said she and the other adults also will be closely watching the two young girls.

"Ashley can probably do this, but we'll be staying close by on the bikes and we'll have walkie-talkies in case anybody is out of sight," Chrissy said.

Mace is flying in from her New Jersey home to take part as well.

"It's an important event and we're all doing what we can to let people know about the disease and finding ways to combat it," Mace said.

Ashley said seeing her grandmother both deal with the disease and work as a nurse helped motivate her.

"I was with her after she found out she had it and she handled it well and still does," Ashley said. "I also would like to go into something involving medicine and helping others."

People interested in finding out more about the disease can go to the www.fmdsa.org website. To find about more about the fundraiser or how to help you can reach Chrissy Gribble at 716-1486. The event begins at 10:30 a.m. in Peninsula, and Chrissy said there will be a picnic afterwards for people who help out with the event.