A benefit and fundraiser will be held Saturday, June 28 at Woodpecker Bar and Grill from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. to support Arterial Tortuosity Syndrome research.

Rhinelander resident Collin Schmieding has this rare genetic disease. There are only about 100 documented cases in the entire world since the late 1960s. There are only approximately 30 or less living persons right now.  

An ATS study is currently underway at the Children’s Hospital of Arkansas. As soon as the funding is set up, Collin will be traveling there with his family. One of the children will be traveling to the USA from the UK for this testing and group study.

The mission is to have a group study on all of the children, in hopes to find out more information regarding this disease. 

Arterial Tortuosity Syndrome is an extremely rare, genetic, connective tissue disorder.  

ATS causes the arteries throughout the entire body to grow too long, kink and twist, thus causing extreme pressures in the heart and lungs. This causes extreme risks of pulmonary infections, strokes, aneurisms and heart attacks.

The average age of someone living with ATS is only to the age of 5 years old. Collin is 18-years-old.

The schedule for the fundraiser is Trig’s brats and hot dogs cookout all day, grilled corn on the cob, horse drawn wagon rides, bounce houses for the kids to play in, dunk tank, minnow races, face painting, raffle prizes, music and magnetic car ribbons also available for purchase with the ATS logo on them.

For more information on this study or the fundraising efforts, contact Julie Larson at 715-360-5956.