Addison's Unicorn Squad to host May 21 fundraiser Join an "End NF" fundraiser on Friday, May 21, hosted by Addison's Unicorn Squad. Three-year-old Addison Gentile was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis Type 2 (NF2) in the summer of 2019. Courtesy of Addison's Unicorn Squad
Updated 4/6/2021 10:32 PM Join Addison's Unicorn Squad fundraiser from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, May 21, at Our Lady of Hope Church, 9711 W. Devon Ave. in Rosemont. Or join them virtually via a livestream from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Three-year-old Addison Gentile was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis Type 2 (NF2) in the summer of 2019. NF2 is a genetic disorder that affects one in every 25,000 people worldwide. It is characterized by the development of noncancerous tumors on the nerves throughout the body; mainly the ones that directly affect the eyes, ears, brain and spinal cord. Most cases are diagnosed in late childhood but due to a birth defect with Addison's eye, she was diagnosed at 17 months. Addison currently has a left-side brain tumor that involves the L optic nerve and blood vessels supplying the brain along with severe scar tissue affecting her right eye, rendering it nonfunctioning at this time.