Snow Birds Escape Help Raise Awareness About Lupus

MoFFatt Designs wants to invite you all to an upcoming Art Auction that they will be holding on behalf of the Lupus Foundation of PA, at the American Legion located at 260 E 3rd Street, Erie on Saturday, June 29 from 6:00pm until 10:00pm.

DinaMarie F. MoFFatt, who was diagnosed 14 years ago with Lupus along with Reynauds, Scleroderma, Sjogrens, and Fibromyalgia, which makes her terminally ill when the weather is cold or wet, founded MoFFatt Designs.

Proceeds will also go to the ‘RV Escape’ fund to help raise money so that that can travel to schools nationally to promote Art as a Raw emotion and how it can help bring down violence within our youth.

The event is called “Snow Birds Escape” and is for Adults only, 21 and older. There is a $5 door admission and ID checks along with a Strict Dress code, so dress to IMPRESS!

There will be live music provided by C.Brown aka Charles Brown, Aberian Kelevra, Doc Proto, Christian Calikko Hyache, and Fort Knox Entertainment. Along with DJ services that will be provided by Chris Mathers of Absolute Entertainment Professional Disk Jockey Services & Live Music.

They have 39 art pieces to auction off and a bunch of baskets and gift certificates. Erie’s Reviving Bodywork Studio will be there doing massages and spinal checks.

“Without Community, We Are Nothing.” 

Come check out how MoFFatt Designs gets down and helps support our local community. They also would like to thank everyone for their donations, dedication and hard work!

 

Read on as MoFFatt Designs share their life with you and to get a better understanding of why they are holding this event. 

My name is Veljon T. Carr. I am a 37-year-old barber/ entrepreneur and am well know in the Erie and Meadville area. In 2009, I met the most beautiful women, just when I needed her. Unknown to the naked eye, she suffered from multiple life threatening illnesses, which are a contain strain on her quality of life and living. After four years of fighting through painful season changes due to the Erie climate, we have come up with a solution; “Snow Birds Escape.”

After her 2013 battle with Shingles the realization of the situations urgency became undeniable. With the two of us being born and raised and proud of Erie, PA the ability to relocate in her worst seasons would change both her and my quality of life and self being.

My Love DinaMarie F. MoFFatt is a loving, giving, volunteering, Wonder Women. She has done multiple charity events across our city, including helping to design the Emerson-Gridley playground. I ask you to first listen to her story and after that, you too will fall in love.

Veljon T. Carr

 

Hello, my name is Dina Marie Moffatt; I have had lupus for 14 years and shortly after was diagnosed with Reynaud’s, sjogrens, scleroderma, and fibromyalgia. I am 34 years old with two children, Trevor is 17 and Lexis is 14, she too was born with a birth defect. I have multiple backgrounds in education and have been able to utilize all the knowledge to become an entrepreneur and hopefully, someday, I can own my own investment buildings and have my own galleries and rental units so, I can finally live with a better quality of life; Not one that I have to be stuck indoors when it’s cold, then, I become isolated from people and become scared, shy, or insecure to be around others.

In 2003, I signed up for Penn Foster and attended online classes to become a Private Investigator. I worked that field as a hobby and made a wonderful living. Unfortunately, the stress of caring for others took me over and sucked me dry. I had to make a career change to save my own life to make sure that I would be here for my own children.

So, I signed up to attend Medical Assisting school in 2006 at Sullivan University in Lexington, KY, 15 months into a 24 month program, I had to be moved back to my home town of Erie, PA due to medical issues. I was informed by my doctors that, I would not be able to work in the nursing field due to my weak immune system from Lupus. So, I transferred knowing that every time I transferred, I lose credits and gain debt! What was I to do? Every Job wants college educated HEALTHY people, not a liability or someone who is going to call off a lot due to health issues or pain. Early Education was my next degree.

I thought to myself, I love children and would love to teach special needs, since I too am special needs. I was doing well getting great grades to learn that I was running out of school money. So I signed up for help through my local Office of Vocational Rehabilitation. Little did I know that one of the qualifications was their office contacting my doctor to discuss my health and medical state. They asked my doctor, can she do this job? The doctor told them; no, she cannot, children with their germs and the stressfulness of a 40-hour a week teaching career would not be good for a person like me.

I had two choices change majors yet again to something they help me find that works with my illnesses or not use their services and find private loans. What a hard knock world! I cried! All that work, dedication, assignments, studying, all for what? To be shot down again? I have never given up! I don’t think I know how. I get depressed, but I fight through it, because I love to smile and make others smile.

So with those raw emotions, I asked myself what can I do that I love and will make others smile, which makes me smile and gives me strength to push on. I immediately signed up for a Fine Arts program, which, I was able to afford only for a year and a half due to materials are not included with your schooling. I made the choice to get a part-time job and build my hobby into a reality. I may only hold 1 degree out of the four universities that I attended, but I have the knowledge of a PHD and love every ounce of blood sweat and tears that I put into it.

I have NO regrets and feel as if the Lord knew my plan and set it for me so; I accept my fate and will walk my path. My goal in life is to travel and run from the cold weather so, I stay healthy and have a wonderful quality of life for my remaining years. No one wants hard times their whole life. I have a purpose, my purpose is to teach and bring happiness to children so they can change for the better and not the worse. I want to travel and speak at schools across the United States and promote Art as a healthy release of RAW emotion, which helps with anger and bullying. I also want to share how it is to have Lupus and other disabling illnesses. But most of all just show the children that anyone from any ethnicity, educational background, or ailment can make it if they never give up! Art makes me feel life again and alive. I have been able to use each area of education to help family, friends, and myself.

Over the years as my illnesses progressed or changed, I too have to change my career paths to suit my lifestyle. I am focused and a very hard worker. Last year I volunteered my Art to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Foundation of Pennsylvania, The Children’s Miracle Network at the Children’s Museum of Erie Pennsylvania; I also held two charity car washes for Lupus and Breast Cancer, which I planned on my own. I want to hold another Art auction and sell my art to help get myself a RV so, I can travel and fulfill my dreams and goals with my life partner, caretaker, mentor, and best of all best friend and someday husband. I want to donate a portion of my proceeds to the Lupus Foundation to help with research and finding a cure.

Not to brag about myself or sound like I have a big head, but last year two of the charity events that I had involvement and or planned were in the Erie Reader, Erie Times News, and the ERI Jams Magazine, I’m trying my best to go national so that I can help people with Lupus and children across our nation. Any sponsorship, financial or material donations would be immensely appreciated.

Again, a portion of my proceeds will go to the Lupus Foundation of PA and MoFFatt Designs. I plan on devoting the rest of my life to this cause because, this is ME and I love me. Writing this letter was one of the hardest things that I have ever had to do, as I don’t like asking for help or begging anyone for sympathy. I can only carry the cost to help others in my shoes for so long before, I too run out of funds, materials, volunteers, equipment and places to hold events. Fact is that all the successful people in the world made it to the top with help from others!

Thank you for taking the time to read my letter and taking into consideration. Have an amazingly blessed day!

D.MoFFatt