Riley Shortt has not only been raising awareness and taken on the cause to make people more aware about Tuberous Sclerosis Complex but she has found different ways to fundraise.  She took to social media and reached out to RBC bank for a grant.

It all starts with my older sister.

My whole life I just understood that this was a disorder that existed and someone close to me had it and I had never known a world without it. My sister and I always loved drawing and even as a little kid, when she would draw herself she incorporated her “blood freckles”. People would ask her why she included that and she always responded stating it was one of the many things that maker her her. As we got older, I began to realize that just because this was a common and everyday thing for me and my family, didn’t mean it was for everyone else. I have seen my sister be asked by strangers about her skin (assuming it was acne), beauty-techs at the mall offering to clear up her skin, as well as her having to even educate a doctor on her disorder as they didn’t know what it was. I would love to live in a world where everyone knew about TSC as much as I have. At this point I can’t imagine my life without it or my sister.

My birthday is February 2nd. Facebook had an add saying something along the lines of “Your birthday is coming up, have you considered donating to charity?”. I thought about it and said absolutely! I knew exactly what I wanted to donate to and it was something dear to me that is also so obscure. I wanted people to know about this disorder and to support anyone out there living with TS.

Back in February, I entered my name into a draw to be granted $500 to donate to a charity of my choosing and I ended up being chosen. I didn’t even bat an eye as I knew where I wanted this money to go. I wanted it to help Canadians living with TSC and the TSC Canada helps raise awareness and support for those living with TSC. My family has been fortunate that we have been able to support my sister in any way possible but I know not everyone is as fortunate as we are.

I can’t wait to see what TSC Canada holds in store! Thank you so much for being the great organization you are.

-Riley