Madison mothers helping two-year-old girl with ‘Raising it for Ryleigh’

MADISON – Several Madison mothers have banded together for “Raising it for Ryleigh” to help a two-year-old girl with a condition that no foundation recognizes.

The “Raising it for Ryleigh” fundraiser at Blue Pants Brewery on Nov. 23 will help two-year-old Ryleigh Elizabeth Brannon, who has an extremely rare chromosome defect. (CONTRIBUTED)

Ryleigh Elizabeth Brannon, daughter of Eric and Shelley Brannon, has an extremely rare chromosome defect — so rare the condition is unnamed. Ryleigh weighs about 20 pounds and has a tethered spinal cord, dwarfism and thinning of nerves that connect brain hemispheres.

The “Raising it for Ryleigh” fundraiser will be held at Blue Pants Brewery, 500 Lanier Road on Nov. 23 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Sugar Belle Cupcakes and Kidventure will donate a portion of their fees.

The event will include a silent auction and sales of Ryleigh bracelets, T-shirts and pint glasses.

Ryleigh’s fundraiser resulted after Jennifer Cornett read Shelley Brannon’s request on a Similac coupon on Facebook. Ryleigh can only eat a special Similac formula, costing $30 per can. Jennifer and her stepdaughter Ellie Cornett, a Madison Elementary School sixth-grader, created a Caring Bridge website for donations.

Ellie’s mother, Brenda Cornett, wanted to do more, and Jennifer and Ellie used Facebook to announce a possible fundraiser. Other Madison moms organizing Raising it for Ryleigh are Justen Alexander, Kellie Coons, Hannah Crutchfield, Emily Hagood, Kristen Kulavich and Veneranda Ordonez.

“We all wanted to help because we are all moms and know how blessed we are to have healthy children,” Brenda Cornett said. “Ryleigh is so precious that she captured our hearts immediately. No foundations, magnetic car ribbons or commercials are crying out for help for her chromosome defect.”

“Even with her adversity, Ryleigh is so precious that she captured our hearts immediately,” Brenda Cornett said. “Each of us that is involved has a personal story that really led us to want to help this little girl and her family.”

Organizers hope residents will donate to the silent auction. Tickets are available at Raisingit-for-ryleigh.ticketleap.com/raisingitforryleigh.

For more information, email to raisingitforryleigh@gmail.com or visit raisingitforryleigh.wix.com/raisingitforryleigh or Facebook.