“Helping Hands” Charity Basketball Game to Help 5 Year Old Brick Girl’s Family

On Friday, March 22, 2013, the Brick Township Policemen’s Benevolent Association will be holding its twenty-third annual “Helping Hands Benefit Basketball Game”.  The game will feature members of the Brick Township Police Department playing the Brick Township Green Dragon Football Team.  As in the past, the P.B.A. is hosting the game to assist a local family facing financial hardship due to a child’s serious illness.  This year, the proceeds of the game will go to the family of Mikaela Magner (Baby Beans), to help them care for their daughter. Mikaela, 5 years old, has Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome, which is a rare and severe form of childhood-onset epilepsy.  On any given day, Mikaela can have from 50 to 100 seizures. 

She has gone for stem cell treatment, has a Vagal Nerve Stimulation implant, and is on a ketogenic diet.  So far, doctors have been unable to reduce the number of seizures Mikaela has because LGS is resistant to most medications and currently has no cure.  Mikaela’s mother, Sarah Pollard, is a single mother who is unable to work due to the 24 hour care needed by her daughter.  As you can imagine, she has a substantial amount of medical debt that continues to get higher with each passing day.

The game will be held at the Brick Township High School East Gym on Friday, March 22, 2013 at 7:30pm.  Tickets can be purchased in advance or at the door.  The cost is $3.00 per adult and $2.00 per student.

If you cannot attend Friday's night game, donations can be sent to the PBA Local 230, P.O. Box 1067, Brick, NJ  08723, c/o Officer Richard Nelson, Jr.  Checks can be made payable to the “Helping Hands Fund”. 

Mikaela's mom Sarah and officer Ricky Nelson stopped by the Hawk's nest to share Mikaela's story: