By Judy Seifert (Contact / Staff Bio)
November 23, 2009 - 10:34 a.m. EST

VASSAR — Mamie Hill was diagnosed with Lupus in 1991. In 2005, she developed a brain tumor that doctors here didn’t seem to be able to treat. By 2006, the tumor seemed to be winning until a friend told Mamie about experimental treatments being conducted in the rain forest of Peru.

Mamie went to Peru, underwent the treatments and, amazingly, the tumor started to shrink and her Lupus went into remission.

“For the past two and half years Mamie’s done pretty well, until this past summer when symptoms started reappearing,” said her friend, Shelley Lazzaro. “It’s time for her friends to step up and help again, but this time we’re also asking for the community to help as well.”

How the community can help is by attending a spaghetti dinner benefit set for Sunday, Nov. 22, at the Vassar Eagles Hall on M-15.

What Mamie’s classmates and friends hope to achieve from the benefit is raising enough money to buy Mamie another ticket to Peru.

“We want to also bring a face to the many different auto-immune diseases that affect families within this area,” Lazzaro said. “But we don’t want to stop with Mamie. Somehow, this is beginning to morph into a bigger project.”

Lazzaro and her friends are in the process of starting a non-profit organization, Just Caus, that will hold yearly fund-raising events to help those in need. A new beneficiary will be selected annually.

“For those suffering, it’s a rollercoaster ride; one day you’re up the next minute you’re down. Just when it seems things are going right, you guessed it, another setback,” Lazzaro said.

Dinner will be served from 1:30-3:30 p.m., and the cost is a free will donation. A silent auction and raffles will take place.

Items being auctioned include a Compaq Rosario desktop computer, a large selection of porcelain dolls, gift certificates for oil changes, jewelry and lots more.

“We want to bring awareness, hope and financial assistance to those who need help and are suffering,” Lazzaro said.

The group has a Web site, www.site.justcaus.com. For additional information, contact Lazzaro at (989) 868-2887 or (989) 737-1332.