Teen fighting disease with swimming event

A Hudson teenager, Ronni Schoenherr, suffers from a rare chronic disease known as dysautonomia and is planning a “Just Keep Swimming” swim-athon Friday, June 19, beginning at 4:30 p.m. at the Hudson Middle School swimming pool.

Schoenherr, 15, is an avid swimmer. She will swim and is collecting pledges to raise funds. Proceeds will be donated to research and organizations that support efforts to treat dysautonomia.

The disease is a general term used for a group of complex conditions that are caused by a breakdown or failure of the autonomic nervous system. The ANS regulates such bodily functions as the cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, metabolic and endocrine systems. Its failure can cause many problems, including the inability to remain in the upright position.

Schoenherr currently suffers unconsciousness — sometimes up to an hour per episode. She also has severe headaches, neck pain and nausea.

The swim-athon is being used to raise funds, but the public is also welcome to register to swim by Sunday, June 10.

Pledges supporting a swimmer, or outright donations, should be made by June 19 at Wells Fargo Bank; send to: Just Keep Swimming, 703 Zephyr Lane, Hudson WI 54016.

For more information, go to www.justkeepswimming. us or send an e-mail to Just_keep.swimming @yahoo.com.

Tags: communities, news, hudson, swimming, benefit