Two and a half years ago, at the age of 4, Katherine Alderfer was diagnosed with a rare and incurable disease called Juvenile Dermatomyositis.

Katherine still fights this disease on a daily basis. From the outside, she looks like a normal kid, but on the inside, her body is raging to fight against this auto-immune disorder that affects only 2 our of a million children. “We still make weekly, or bi-weekly trips to Riley so she can be hooked up to an IV and receive medications through her surgically implanted port-a-cath,” says Kristine Alderfer, Katherine’s mother. “The disease is active in her body, and therefore causes pain, weakness and severe fatigue. Katherine cannot go in the sun at all, because the sun is a major activator of this disease.”

“As parents who have seen our daughter go through so much, we want to do our part to help find a cure,” Kristine adds.On Nov. 3, there will be a “Christmas Shop To Cure JM” being held locally.The event is being organized as Kristine as a fundraiser for Cure JM. The Cure JM Foundation raises funds to help research a cure for the disease that Katherine suffers from.

Approximately 14 vendors are taking part setting up tables to sell their products. Each vendor is going to donate a percentage of profits to the Cure JM foundation. There will be kids games and activities, food, shopping and more. There is no charge to get into the Christmas Shop for Cure JM.

It is being held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 3, in the gym at Sacred Heart School, Warsaw.