July 6, 2002
Ms Donna Gruetzmacher
Executive Director
National Ataxia Foundation
2600 Fernbrook Lane, Suite 119
Minneapolis, MN 55447-4752
Dear Donna
The Northern California Ataxia Support Group is donating $500.00 to the National Ataxia Foundation in memory of Helen Torres. She was one of our most remembered & beloved members.
Helen E. “Dean” Torres, 75, a long-time resident of Lafayette, passed away on June 9, 2002, after waging a 12-year battle with Ataxia, a rare neurological disorder. She gave of herself to our Ataxia support group by being one of its founding members, ‘Group Leader’, and then ‘Treasurer’ over a period of 8 years. She did service for our group until she was no longer able to give and life left her, after a short few months of giving up her service committments. She waged the war against Ataxia, like the rest of us, by giving support to other ataxians, awareness, education and supporting NAF research. She was cared for by her loving and supportive husband of 28 years, Jim Torres. We are sad to see her go and wish NAF to please recognize her in the Generations magazine and to send an appropriate acknowledgement to Jim Torres at:
3258 Judith Lane Lafayette, CA 94549
We give many thanks to the fine work you and your staff are doing at NAF and for your continuing assistance to the Northern California Ataxia Support Group.
Warmest regards,
Mike Fernandes Northern California Ataxia Support Group Leader
Enclosure Cc: Jim Torres, Jody Ames & Fernando and Rocio Wu