Bellefonte bowling tourney to benefit man battling CF

BELLEFONTE — Avery’s third annual Cystic Fibrosis Benefit Bowling Tournament will be held at 10 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 26, at Bellefonte Lanes, 2767 Benner Pike.

The event is sponsored by Bellefonte Lanes and Bellefonte Youth Bowling Program.

Avery Milanese is a 7-year-old Bellefonte resident and youth bowler who was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at the age of 4. She has two mutations that have affected her pancreas, and she underwent surgery in March 2015 to have her gallbladder removed.  

Avery takes creon, an enzyme pill, with every meal and snack to break down the fat so the pancreas can process her food. She also does two to four breathing treatments every day and uses a physiotherapy vest to shake mucus out of her lungs so she is able to breathe better and prevent infection.

Tournament sponsors are reaching out to local businesses to help with the auction during the upcoming tournament. Last year, more than 40 businesses made donations and helped to raise more than $1,400 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Organizers are hoping to beat that amount this year.

Proceeds will be used to benefit fellow Michael Keller, who also has cystic fibrosis. Keller and his wife, Lisa, participated and supported the first two tournaments and will attend this year’s event.

Like Avery, Keller was diagnosed with CF at a young age. His care is not unlike Avery’s, in that he needs copious amounts of medication and physiotherapy to maintain a normal quality of life. Because of chronic lung infections, commonly associated with CF, he was at the stage where his lungs had deteriorated to the point of needing a double lung transplant.

On Dec. 6, Keller received a call to go to Pittsburgh for his new lungs. He is now at home recuperating and coming along very well, according to tournament organizers. The cost of the transplant was more than $1 million, and although insurance covers much of it, there are still other costs involved that the Kellers will be responsible for, including anti-rejection medication for the rest of his life.   

For more information on Keller or to make a donation, visit     https://give.transplants.org/goto/michaelkeller.

To donate to the bowling fundraiser, contact Alissa Jaworski, Avery’s mother, at (814) 441-9543, or LuAnn Jaworski, Avery’s grandmother, at (814) 880-7276. Donations also can be dropped off at the front desk of Bellefonte Lanes; make sure to indicate they are for the Cystic Fibrosis Tournament.

To sign up for the tourney, stop in at Bellefonte Lanes or call (814) 355-1810.