A local teenager who is suffering from a rare immune system disease will be honored later this morning.
13-year old Katherine Alderfer is being recognized as one of the new Riley Champions for the Riley Children’s Foundation. Alderfer suffers from juvenile dermatomyositis, or JDM, a rare disease that causes the immune system to attack the muscles and skin.
She will be recognized in front of her classmates during a chapel service at Lakeland Christian Academy at 10:20 AM. This special presentation will allow Katherine’s school to honor her bravery and kick off her role as ambassador for Riley Hospital for Children.
Her family helped create the Kosciusko County Riley Kids Fund, which raises upwards of $80,000 annually.
