This month there are several fundraising benefits held in our community to help those who have endured some “heart-breaking” complications.

A spaghetti dinner was held last Sunday in Picture Rocks to benefit Aurora Laidecker who was born with multiple birth defects. At two days old, she has endured a surgery to create a colostomy which closed shortly after the operation and led to a revision. She was born without a left leg and her brain cannot manage cerebral fluid levels. She had her first brain surgery on February 23 and another on March 23 to place a shunt because the first one failed.

Her family has been taking her to Philadelphia for her care and spinal surgery is needed because of two fused vertebrae and prosthetics for her missing limb.

The family now needs to travel to Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus Ohio this month for five days. To make a donation, contact Jenna Cramer at 570-419-7420.

A breakfast and raffle drawing will be held this Saturday in Elimsport for Brandon Miller, a 21 year old who has been diagnosed with Aplastic Anemia, which is a very rare bone marrow disease. Brandon is in need of a bone marrow transplant and he is currently waiting on results from a possible match from a donor.

Brandon will have to travel to Baltimore, Maryland for a 3 to 6 month stay while receiving treatment. Once there, his family said it will take at least one month to prepare for the transfusion, and another month to make sure his body doesn’t reject it. It will take a third month to regulate the medicine. To help with his care and medical and traveling expenses, a breakfast, basket raffle and 50/50 drawing will be held on Sunday, August 5 from 8 to noon at the Oak Grove Community Center on Elimsport Road in Montgomery. For more information or to make a donation, call Jean Pauling at 570-547-6250.

To benefit drug and alcohol rehab programs, a Recovery Walk & Run is scheduled for Saturday August 4 at Indian Park in Montoursville and is sponsored by the family of Stephanie Mutchler. The race is being held in her memory who died at the age of 23 “to the horrible disease of addiction,” said her family. They are asking for support and to bring more public awareness to “this increasing epidemic in this area and to help us support the programs of recovery for this disease.” The race will begin at 9 a.m. and all registered participants will receive a T-shirt. Registrations will take place up until 8:45 a.m. Timing will be done by Falcon Race Timing and awards given to overall male and female winners and the top 3 finishers in each of the designated age groups, including 70 and over. To make a donation or for more information, contact Christine Boyles of Pennsdale at 570-419-1450 or email at cboychips@gmail.com.