Mr. and Mrs. Bieber

By: Ally

I'd just like everyone to know that I've got Bieber Fever. (And also, if you don't have the physical capacity to sit and read this lengthy blog, please make sure to read the final two paragraphs. They are by far the most important.)

As I'm sure you've seen on the news (or heard as you've received services at spa ni'joli), our beloved Avalanna has finally met her man. For those of you who don't know, let me give you a little background. Avalanna Routh is 6 years old and has a very rare and aggressive form of brain cancer, called AT/RT. She was diagnosed at 9 months old and has spent almost her entire life battling against this horrifying disease. She has become a huge part of fundraising for the Jimmy Fund, Dana Farber, and the research fund founded by her own family, Cure AT/RT Now. She has made a name for herself here at spa ni'joli as our manager, and is now making a name for herself across the country.

Avalanna had a dream to meet Justin Bieber (and was even married to him in a wedding hosted by the doctors and nurses at Dana Farber, complete with guitarist, Bieber cut out, and Future Mrs Bieber t-shirt). In an effort to make her dream come true, her babysitter set up a facebook page aimed at making contact with Justin Bieber. Little by little, the page was shared amongst friends and family and it started to spread. On day 3, there were 800 followers. We here at spa ni'joli are, quite frankly, obsessed with Av. She comes into our spa as often as possible to manage, which usually ends with her in a pedicure tub or on a massage table. We've hosted Avalanna's birthday parties, Star Party, and have welcomed her into our lives with arms spread wide. Our clients have enjoyed seeing her in the spa, answering her questions like "Are you enjoying yourself?" and "Would you like a glass of white or red?" and laughing at her tell jokes. On day 4, we started calling the media. By the end of the day, we had 4,000 followers and an interview scheduled for the next day with two Boston media outlets. On day 5, we had 7,000 followers and Avalanna was on her way to New York City. Yesterday, day 7, we had 10,000 followers and Justin Bieber in a hotel room with our Avalanna, playing Candyland and eating cupcakes.

**It is so amazing to me that so many people pulled together to help Av. I cannot tell you how many times we have cried after seeing the support Av was getting from all over the country and across the globe. We reached Israel, Brazil, and Sweden. It has been a remarkable experience, but we still have our work cut out for us. What we need more than anything is a cure for this amazing child. With only 30 cases of AT/RT diagnosed each year, it is virtually impossible to get grants for research. With no incentive to invest, pharmaceutical companies cannot donate their time and money to AT/RT. Research money is almost entirely raised by the families of children with this terrible disease.

All of this publicity has been great, but publicity isn't enough. If every one of Justin Bieber's Twitter followers donated $1 to Cure AT/RT now, we would raise over $17 million. The only thing we can do is keep sharing this information and hope that people want to help. I am begging everyone to go to www.cureatrt.org/donations.html and donate the cost of your daily Starbucks habit to help us find a cure for Avalanna. Whether you have met her, seen her on tv, or are hearing about her for the first time right now, you cannot help but love her. We at spa ni'joli are always trying to find ways to make her life a little better, and I can think of no other way than to help donate to her cause. ***

www.cureatrt.org/donations.html